


The Rest is Merely Tenacity

by FireThatFox



Category: Naruto
Genre: A more cautious Sakura, Advanced Yin seal, Arrogant but sincere, Black Zetsu is like a parasite, Denial of fate, Done on purpose, Dreaming in someone else's subconcious, Dreams to Reality, Emotional Manipulation, Evil infestations, F/M, Hajime is not Kakashi, Hajime looses his shit, Hashi won't take no for an answer, Hashirama is not who you know him as, Hashirama wants revenge, He was simply missunderstood, History was not kind to Madara, I rewrote Sakura's past a bit, I should have labled this a slow burn, It wasn't his fault, Izuna is a sweetheart and a flirt, Izuna sighs, Kurama is a sarcastic prick, Madara acts more like himself eventually, Madara fails again, Madara won't say no to Hashi, Making your own path, Mental bonding, Mito is manipulative, Molestation, No one is who they seem to be, Nothing seems real, Possessive Behavior, Pre and Post fourth shinobi war, Pre-Konoha, REALLY shady Hashi, SOULMATES!, Sakura almost dies twice, Sakura is loosing it, Sakura just wants to be herself, Semi-Memory Loss, Shukaku is a good friend, Slightly shady Hashi, Slow Burn, Soul transfer, Style and dryness of writing may change by chapter, Tags will change as story progresses, Time Travel AU, Tobirama isn't vocal or emotional but feels more deeply than he lets on, Tobirama yearns, Vengeful Hashi, adding rape tag just in case, bad sasuke, blame zetsu, blended realities, confusing dynamics, feeling of chapter depends on feelings of characters in chapter, kakashi..., loosing one's mind, lovey kakashi, more realistically obvious clever Sakura, non con drugging via plants, out of character Madara imo, remembering, sensor Sakura, slowly understanding madara, the tendrils of time that bind, you know when he realizes Tennyo aren't real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:33:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 68
Words: 228,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25932937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireThatFox/pseuds/FireThatFox
Summary: She's alone.He wants to learn more about her...who she is...where she's from...what makes her smile.She's cautious.He doesn't trust her...knows she's hiding something...is challenged by her...grows to respect her.She's strong.He's intrigued by her...he wants her...he follows her...he corners her.He's familiar.She can't remember him...he reminds her of someone ...she doesn't want to get hurt again...she feels like crying and she doesn't know why.The Rest is Merely Tenacity.What a terrible summary
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura & Senju Hashirama, Haruno Sakura & Senju Tobirama, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Izuna, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Madara, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura/Senju Hashirama, Haruno Sakura/Senju Tobirama, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Izuna, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Madara, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura Haruno/Hajime Hatake
Comments: 1853
Kudos: 1029





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward."
> 
> Amelia Earhart  
> +____+_________  
> Ships indicate all relationships. Both romantic and non.
> 
> In refference to the timeline for the formation of the Hidden Villages I used :https://keepyourpantsongohan.tumblr.com/post/170439568877/timeline-of-naruto-universe

The branch cracked under her weight. She hadn’t realized it was a dead tree until it was too late. Twisting her center of gravity in mid fall, she kicked off a parallel tree, flipped and landed softly on the forest floor, one knee to the ground, both palms flat against the soft moss and new spring grass.

A soft giggle bubbled from her lips. “How silly of me.” She murmured and pushed the long pink strands of floating fairy floss back from her eyes as she stood to her full, albeit short, stature and looked at her surroundings.

She had been here for almost a year now, alone, with no recollection of how she had come or how she would get back to...wherever she had come from. 

Flashes of a former life would surprise her suddenly, like a flash of lightning in her mind, as she went about her day. Sometimes it was pleasant, like warm water rising up around your body when stepping into a bath, but other times it would be terrifying, like the cracking of bones or the shattering of teeth.

Sakura knew her name, her first name, and that she was a kunoichi, a female shinobi. She knew she was a healer, an intellect and a survivor...but she didn’t know how old she was, where she was from, or why she was where she was, lacking all of her memories.

It had been late winter when she had woken up, half covered in fresh snow, half dead. Her body had been bruised and bloodied. Slashes had adorned her legs, puncture marks had run up and down her arms. Yet, she had no idea what had injured her, or if she was still in danger.

Slowly, she had risen to her feet, had found shelter for the night and slept. At dawn she rose with the sun and had healed her wounds.

Sakura pushed back her foraging sack that had fallen to her front in her fall, and stepped around a now familiar large rock by the river, toward home. It wasn’t much, it had been abandoned when she had found it, but no one had been there for a very long time and no one had come looking there since she had claimed it...so she stayed.

A very faint and thin stream of smoke made her smile as her home came into view. It was small, but it was only her, it was perfect. Sakura stepped out of the line of dense trees and undergrowth into her small clearing. A clearing she had cleared herself for her own convenience.

She dropped her foraging sack down by the outdoor tripod and her almost banked fire. Untying her wooden mug from her belt she knelt down by her fire. Lifting the lid to the pot that hung over the coals she dipped out a mug of hot water. Taking two pinches of dried herbs from her left pouch she sprinkled them into her mug and pulled two logs from a nearby pile to stoke up her fire for cooking.

Luck was with her today. Both of her traps had large juicy rabbits in them. They were live traps, since she had no modern appliances. She smiled wistfully at the memory of her refrigerator in her old apartment in ...wherever she had lived.

While the coals fed on the new fuel, she untied the rabbits from her belt, laying one beside the fire and the other in a hand woven cage that she had prepared for this purpose, she sent a quick charge of chakra to revive it. She couldn’t eat more than one rabbit by herself. She would have to cook half and dry the rest into jerky to keep it, or make stew that could continually simmer over the fire to keep. The other rabbit could wait a few days, possibly more if she could find another of the opposite sex and breed them.

She had been trying for almost a month to find a suitable couple. It was difficult when she couldn’t use her chakra to hunt. It was dangerous to use it even to heal herself her first night. She had no idea where she was, who was nearby, or who would notice if she cast out her signature. She had been smart, she had been safe...and she was still here because of her caution.

Moving back over to her fire she poked at the now flaming logs and settled another in the middle. Stew, she would make stew. Her foraging efforts had been fruitful. Early spring onions tumbled out of her bag when she upended it, small new carrots and a clove of garlic. 

Two months ago she had found a traveling merchant, lost in the woods, separated from his team and his wagons by bandits. She had helped him find his way back to the main road in exchange for the little provisions he had on his person. Two sound knives, a long sword and a bag of salt. The salt was the most valuable thing he had in her opinion. There was only so much natural salt in rabbit meat. Her body had craved it.

The weapons were useful as well of course, but they weren’t shinobi weapons, so they were not of the highest quality, but they would suffice, for now. She had little else on her when she woke. A medic pack and her gear pack, half empty.

Sipping her tea she skinned the rabbit, broke it’s bones and cut up it’s meat into cubes, dropping the cracked marrow filled bones to add to the flavor of the broth. 

It was a beautiful day and peaceful, she relaxed as she stirred the now peeled onions, carrots and garlic into her pot. She would eat well today and into the night. She was...happy. For all she didn’t know, she knew she liked her little hidden part of this world, whatever world it may be.

The birds chattered and chattered around her, used to her presence in the forest, here, by her little cabin. It reminded her of something, but again, like most things she was constantly being reminded of, she couldn’t quite remember. A half memory, almost like a dream. Ghosts, of what she assumed to be her past, would sit with her by her fire sometimes. Laughter that only she was sure she could hear would fill her head and make her smile. She would turn to laugh with someone, but there was never anyone there. She was alone.

The days weren’t so bad because there was peace to be found, but the nights...got lonely. She could find no peace in the dark, there was no laughter there. The voices that came to her in the night were troubling ones, deep ones, filled with a darkness more sinister and haunting to her than the nightmares that had plagued her since she had come...here.

...but it was day now, the sun warming her back, her fire keeping the crisp spring breeze at bay and there was food in her pot, good food for her to imbibe in. Sakura smiled, she enjoyed her days. They were quiet.

Sakura ladled the stew out of her pot into her wooden bowl enjoying the warmth on her hands from the dish and pulling her chopsticks from her bag beside her. She was just about to set her bowl down and pick up her cup of tea when she felt...something, it was faint, a signature...a shinobi.

Dumping her bowl of stew back into the pot, she set the lid on top and poured out her cup of tea. Carefully she gathered dirt up around her fire to reduce it’s flames and smother it’s smoke. With as little chakra as possible she leapt up into the highest tree, sat, watched and waited.

She could feel the signature moving about, slowly back and forth, back and forth through the forest. It seemed to come closer to her, then move away only to come back again...to move away again. It puzzled her. Were they lost, injured or...demented perhaps? It wasn’t worth the risk of her leaving her tree to find out, besides, it could be a trap her senses told her, if they were a shinobi...and from their signature, though faint, she thought they were.

So she waited...and waited...and waited until the sun began to set around her. She grew tired and annoyed. The signature still hadn’t left her small area. It had however, stopped milling about..maybe it had stopped for the night.

Sakura contemplated the wisdom of moving down from her tree. In the last eleven months she had only seen that one lost man, that merchant...was it worth the risk to sleep in her own bed...would they even pick up on her signature? What was the difference between the cabin or the tree right beside it.

She dropped to the ground and froze…

A tall man, with long brown hair the color of summer chestnuts, sat on her log beside her fire. She hadn’t even seen him or heard him approach. Her head turned to where she had last felt the meandering chakra signature...that was no longer there.

“You tricked me.” Her voice cracked from disuse, she cleared her throat and tried again. “Who are you?”

“I am Senju...Senju Hashirama, and I am very interested to know...who you might be.” His voice was pleasant, not deep, but masculine...smooth and gentle. Soft brown eyes watched her straighten her back and relax her shoulders. He could feel her wrap her chakra in and around herself like a cloak. He waited, but she didn’t speak.

“I mean you no harm.” He opened his palms out in front of his chest in the common gesture of goodwill. “I felt your signature earlier this afternoon and came to investigate.” He continued to speak...because she was not.

Sakura licked her lips. She knew this man...and yet, she couldn’t...connect...it was hazy and disjointed but she knew she could…

“Senju.” Her voice broke again and she cleared her throat again in embarrassment. “My name is Sakura.” She bowed shallowly, her eyes never leaving those of the man at her fire.

“A beautiful name, fitting. I didn't mean to startle you Sakura. Please tell me, are you...in any trouble?” Hashirama knew not to ask her if she was alone. 

She was already understandably wary of him. He already knew she was alone. He had been watching her for over a month now without her knowing and had decided she posed no threat. His curiosity had eaten away at him until he couldn’t stand it any longer and had...decided to let a bit of his chakra leak out, to see what she would do.

To his surprise and amusement she had done her best to camouflage her camp, had jumped up into a tree to hide herself, for nearly five hours. Clearly she was a kunoichi and clearly she was a cautious one. He approved.

“Trouble.” Sakura checked the rest of her site with the corners of her eyes. “No Senju Sama, I am not in trouble.”

Hashirama blinked at her honorific, did she know who he was or...was she just being overly polite? He watched her eyes dart around, she was searching…

“I came alone.” He tried to smile, to calm her.

“You’ve been watching me.” Sakura narrowed her eyes at the man by her fire.

“Ah, yes, but only because I didn’t know who you were.” He said quickly, but he didn’t deny her statement.

She was quick, he noted. By his wording she had picked up that he had...purposely came alone, that he hadn’t happened upon her by chance, or he would have said, ‘I’m alone’, instead of, ‘I came alone’. He nearly smacked himself in the forehead for his mistake.

“...and now that you know?” Sakura asked him, her fingers twitching at her side for her weapon just in case...

“No one owns this land. It isn’t under anyone's protection. I doubt anyone but me knows you are here but...it isn’t safe, for you to be here by yourself. Where are you from? How did you come to be here?” Hashirama asked her, his curiosity getting the best of him again. He bit the inside of his mouth, she had narrowed her eyes at him again. He wasn’t handling this well at all.

“If no one owns this land, then there is no one to tell me to leave.” Sakura nodded as if to herself. 

“...and I don’t need anyone’s protection.” Her voice was clipped even to her own ears and she felt the slightest bit of remorse, her gut was telling her...this man was not a threat.

“Of course.” Hashirama laughed and rubbed the back of his head self consciously.

Sakura’s eyes widened, that gesture was familiar. Another man’s face flashed before her eyes. Blue eyes like the summer skies and hair the color of the sun had her stumbling backward, her balance thrown like it sometimes was when she had these...flashes of her past of her...memories.

“Sakura, are you alright?” Hashirama rose from the log and took two quick steps toward her, grabbing her by the arm so she didn’t fall over.

She reacted without thinking…

A quick jab under his reaching arm had him stumbling back, a swift kick to the chest lifted him off the ground and a well placed punch broke through the thick tree trunk where his head used to be.

“Be still.” A low voice from behind said calmly. “I told you, I meant you no harm.”

Sakura stumbled as she pulled her fist from the nearly exploded tree trunk, turned and blinked at the man. He was so fast.

“That’s one hell of a punch you have there...Sakura.” Hashirama eyed the woman with a new appreciation. “I can see you weren’t just over confident, when you told me you didn’t need protection.”

Hashirama laughed a little and stepped back from the woman, his arms falling to his sides.

“I didn’t mean to um, I’m sorry.” Sakura grimaced, he was only trying to keep her from falling and she had attacked him.

“I shouldn’t have touched you. I didn’t want you to fall, something seemed to have uh, startled you.” His eyes were wide and soft at the same time...sincere.

Sakura relaxed, just a little. “I have stew, would you like to join me?” An apology.

Hashirama smiled a bright smile and nodded his head enthusiastically. “I would love to!” he grinned at her making her smile a little at the man, it was very infectious...his smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Hashirama took the offered bowl with a polite incline of his head. “This smells wonderful. Thank you.” He took a polite sip and made noises of contentment that made Sakura smile.

“I’ll not ask you your clan name even though I offered mine. I understand if you do not wish to tell me.” Hashirama started what he hoped was a light conversation with the woman who had sat down across from him, her own bowl warming her hands.

Sakura nodded, sipping her stew, watching him eat his in silence.

“How long have you been here, in this cabin I mean. Last time I checked it was abandoned.” Hashirama picked a carrot from his bowl and chewed it slowly.

“How long have you been watching me?” Sakura asked him, making no move to answer his question.

“A month.” He had told her that, just a moment ago. He smiled a charming smile, he wanted her to trust him, most did...but she was different.

“I have been here longer than a month.” Sakura continued to sip her stew, keeping her eyes on the man. It was clear she was more at ease around him now, but it was also just as clear that she didn’t trust him.

“Ah, I wondered. I see you found a rabbit, I saw you trying to catch another the other day. Are you looking to breed them then?” He waved to the rabbit in it’s wickered cage at the side of her cabin. She knew he had been watching her, there was no reason to pretend he hadn’t seen her...chasing rabbits.

“Yes.” Sakura’s throat was relaxing with the warmth from the stew and her voice came more easily now, lighter, more feminine.

“Do you need a male?” Hashirama asked her. “Rabbit! A male rabbit!” He added when he saw her eyes narrow to green slits and glare at him.

“Yes.” Sakura smiled a little at their misunderstanding. “This past winter was...a hard one, wasn’t it?”

Hashirama smiled, she was trying to make conversation, he was delighted. “It was.” He nodded his head enthusiastically, happy she was speaking more. “So you have been here through the winter then?”

She knew he would ask as soon as she volunteered the information. “I have.” Sakura confessed.

“I apologize for my curiosity, Sakura, but I do not find many out here, this far out from the known clan lands, men or women for that matter living alone away from a compound or a village very often. You are rather uh, perplexing to me.” Hashirama watched and waited. He didn’t wish to offend her. “That’s why I asked if you were in trouble. I didn’t wish to imply you were a criminal.”

Sakura smiled. She might not know her last name, or what clan she was from, but she knew she wasn’t a criminal. “No, I’m not a criminal.” She laughed lightly, silvery, like a bell.

Hashirama flushed slightly. It was such a beautiful sound, he wanted to hear her laugh again. He had noticed her hair first of course, pastel pink hair the color of cherry blossoms, but as striking as her hair was, it was her eyes that had captivated him.

He had first seen her by the river, bending over, filling her cooking pot. She had looked up, he had made the hand signs of concealing, their eyes had met...if she had been able to see him, and his breath had caught in his throat. Beautiful green eyes, crisp, sharp, intelligent...but wary. It had been both mesmerizing and unsettling, that feice gaze of hers, burning through the back of his head as he watched her.

He had almost stepped out of the tree line, convinced she had seen through his jutsu, but she had turned eventually and had led him back to her camp. Not directly of course. She had walked in circles, four to be exact, not even his younger brother Tobirama, the stickler that he was...was that cautious.

“Would you like some tea, Senju Sama?” Sakura rose from her seat, her stew bowl empty and withdrew her kettle from her bag beside the fire, bringing him out of his thoughts.

“Please.” Hashirama watched her fill the kettle with a minor water jutsu. So, she had an affinity for water, what else...what other affinities did she have he wondered?

Bending over, Sakura set the kettle in the coals, her eyes sparkled in the light of the fire...a dark forest green in the dimming light. It would be night soon. Soon, it would be very inappropriate for him to be there and he was sure that if he didn’t leave soon his younger brother Tobirama would come looking for him. Hashirama found that he wasn’t quite sure he liked that idea. He wanted to keep Sakura to himself, for a bit, for now.

Sakura pulled another wooden mug from her pack and placed two pinches of her herbs in each cup, lifted the now heated water from the fire and filled each cup to the rim. Fragrant steam rose from the cups and tickled her nose. She smiled at the warmth, the temperature had dropped and the heat of the stew was fading from her bones. The hot tea was welcoming.

“Senju Sama.” Sakura held the cup of tea out to the man who smiled again as he took it from her hand, careful not to touch her fingers less she think it inappropriate.

“Thank you Sakura.” Hashirama ducked his head in thanks and took a small sip of the scalding tea. “Mm. I’ve not had this tea before, may I ask what kind it is?”

Sakura looked down into her cup. “I believe it is lavender, summer mint and jasmine, but there is something else in it...I am not sure of the last ingredient.” She frowned into the cup, she had been trying to figure it out for months now, she felt as though she ought to know, like she had made the tea mix herself but...she couldn’t remember.

“Did the merchant not tell you when you purchased it?” Hashirama asked curiously.

“I made it, but I can not recall.” Her brow remained furrowed as she continued to look into her cup. Clearly she was trying to remember and not only for him because he had asked, but for herself.

“How strange.” He murmured as he took another sip, his eyes passing over her lower lip..

Sakura’s eyes rose to meet his soft brown over the firelight. “You mean convenient. It isn’t poisoned I assure you.”

“I didn’t mean that Sakura.” Hashirama said quickly, his eyes snapping back up to hers, had she seen him looking at her?

“It is what I would have thought if someone had told me they had made a tea and had forgotten what they had put into it.” She smiled at the man across from her as his mouth twitched with humor at her words. Apparently not, thank kami.

“I can’t say you’re wrong, but I don’t think you would poison me. I have a sense about these things. I can tell you’re…” He paused searching for the right words. “A good person, if a bit lost?”

“Lost.” Sakura chuckled to herself. “Perhaps Senju Sama, perhaps.” She tipped her cup back and drank the rest of her tea, Hashirama following her example.

“Thank you Sakura for the wonderful dinner and the company.” Hashirama rose to his feet and bowed politely. “It is late, I have trespassed on your good company too long.”

Sakura inclined her head. “It was nice to meet you Senju Sama, um, could you please ah...not tell anyone else I am here? As you can see, I mean no harm, to anyone. I would like to remain at peace, if possible.”

“Peace...yes of course. You have my word but um, I would like very much to...visit you again?” Hashirama blushed just a bit but not enough to see in the low light of her campfire.

“I uh...well…” Sakura hesitated. 

Did she want him to come visit her, did she want those kinds of bonds...a pain shot through her chest that made her take an involuntary step backward. Unlike before, Hashirama didn’t move, but waited for her to right herself and to speak again.

“I suppose that would be okay. I mean, as long as it is only you.” Sakura lifted her head and pushed her hair out of her eyes.

Hashirama blinked twice and bowed his head again. She looked like a spirit, a wood spirit or a fairy of the forest standing there, the wind blowing her hair back and over her shoulders, her emerald eyes glowing green and sparkling in the firelight. He swallowed. Were those stars coming out into the night sky behind her head or...was he just imagining it?

“I promise, I will come alone.” He waited for her approval before speaking again, holding his breath.

“I would like to, uh see you again then...thank you Senju Sama.” Sakura smiled softly.

“Hashi, I mean...please call me Hashirama or uh Hashi if you wish. I would like us to be friends, please.” He bowed again ridiculously, making her laugh, that sweet silvery laugh again.

“Okay, Hashirama. I look forward to seeing you again.” Sakura bowed back to him, making him laugh.

“Excellent!” He clapped his hands together. “I will see you tomorrow then!”

“Tomorrow?” Sakura blinked. “Well, okay I guess.”

“I’ll bring you a male rabbit.” He pointed to the female rabbit in her wicker cage. 

“Unless you wished to wait and find one on your own?” He asked her hesitantly, was he being too pushy? 

His younger brother told him he came on too strong when meeting new people sometimes, that he got too excited and made people uneasy. Hashirama didn’t think so though, he thought if anyone was uneasy with his boisterous happy attitude...it was Tobirama.

Sakura considered telling him it was too soon, that they hardly knew one another, that a gift such as that was inappropriate but...she really did need a male rabbit. “Okay, thank you. I will see you tomorrow then.”

“Great!” Hashirama bowed again and jumped up to the nearest tree, running fast and waving at her over his shoulder. She blinked, and he was gone.

“So fast.” Sakura murmured as she picked his cup and bowl up from the fireside and placed it in her wicker basket to take to the river tomorrow morning to wash with her own.

With a wave to her rabbit who would have a mate tomorrow, Sakura banked her outside fire, carrying one of it’s logs inside with her for her indoor fire that would help keep her warm for the night. Once inside she placed the still burning log on the bed of shavings she had laid out earlier that day and blew on it lightly, until the flames spread and grew. Placing two more logs from her indoor pile she sat back on her heels and watched the orange and yellow dance before her eyes.

Sakura usually hated the nights, the voices of people she had no faces for haunted her dreams. Visions of war, of blood and a battlefield she couldn’t remember the enemy of, flooded her mind at night, in the dark...but tonight...it was just quiet. Tonight it was just dark. She sat back on her heels staring into the flame and enjoyed the silence, for the first time since she had come here.

Her eyes traveled around her small one room cabin. It was small and it wasn’t much but it was hers for now and it suited her needs just fine. The fire pit lay in the middle of the raised wooden floor, a tripod like the one she had outside over the flames. Another cooking pot hung off and to the side waiting to be used and her shelves along the front of the cabin where the floor was dirt held her merger dry goods.

Sakura realized with a sigh, yes, she really was...happy here.

The lights of the Senju compound came into view as Hashirama darted through the last few miles of forest that surrounded and protected his family’s compound. He could feel his brother Tobirama’s chakra signature moving closer by the second. Stopping abruptly, his feet locked down on to the swaying tree branch, he smiled a charming smile at his brother who looked less than pleased at how late he was returning home.

“Hashirama. Where were you, you’ve been gone for hours and why couldn’t I find your signature?” His brother Tobirama demanded, arms crossed over his chest, red eyes narrowed.

“Tobi! Nice evening isn’t it, I decided to go out for a run in the woods. It was such a beautiful day you know, couldn’t let a day like that go to waste now could I?” Hashirama rubbed the back of his head, his thoughts immediately going to Sakura and how she had stumbled the first time he had rubbed the back of his head in front of her. Clearly he had reminded her of someone...who he wondered.

Tobirama watched his brother’s eyes dull and slide to the side, he was already lost in thought. “What is it, what has made you so distracted?” Tobirama asked with barely hidden annoyance.

“Hum?” Hashirama’s eyes focused on his younger brother once more before crinkling to match his smile. 

“Oh nothing, just thinking of what a nice day I had and about the nice evening I had.” Hashirama jumped past his brother to the next tree and then to the ground. Tobirama jumped down to land beside his brother.

“The council met before dinner, war is coming again.” Tobirama said as they waited for the front gates of their compound to open for them.

“The war between the Uchiha and the Senju never stopped Tobi.” Hashirama waved a hand in the air to the guards at the gate, a grimace on his face.

“Which is why you can’t go running off into the forest to frolic in the woods. Father is dead, you’re the clan head now Hashirama, you have responsibilities to the clan and…” Tobirama was cut off by his elder brother raising his hand and stopping him in his steps.

“Tobirama. I am well aware of my responsibilities to the clan. I was out today like I have been out periodically checking on something, to ensure the continued safety of our clan.” Hashirama dropped his hand back down to his side and continued walking to the main house in the back of the compound.

“What were you checking on?” Tobirama asked him suspiciously. He had known of course that his brother had been disappearing periodically for the last month, masking his chakra signature or using seals to displace it and throw him off so that he couldn’t follow him.

“Nothing that is a threat to us, nothing you need to worry about Tobi.” Hashirama smiled as he slid the door open to the house they shared with one another.

“Why are you smiling like that?” Tobirama leaned in and looked at his brother more closely. “Are you...blushing?”

“No!” Hashirama walked quickly to his room down the main hall of the house and slid his door shut behind him before his brother could follow him into his room.

Tobirama stood in the now empty hallway looking at his brother’s closed door, narrowed his eyes, turned and walked to his own room. His brother was up to something, and he was going to find out what it was. The last time his brother waltzed off in the middle of the morning or the middle of the day and was gone for hours he had been meeting their enemy, Madara Uchiha.

He doubted very much that his brother, the Senju Clan head was sneaking off to see Madara, the Uchiha Clan head now...they weren’t kids anymore, but he was sneaking off and meeting someone...Tobirama was sure of it. 

Closing his own door behind him he shuffled through some seals on his desk. They weren’t children anymore. If his brother was going to use diffusers and distorters to hide his chakra so that he couldn’t locate him...Tobirama was going to use seals...to track him.


	3. Chapter 3

The silence was deafening.

Sakura had welcomed the silence at first. The voices that had plagued her nights since she had woken up covered in snow, not far from her cabin, had been a constant nightly companion. One she hadn’t fully appreciated, until now. Frightful they may have been, disturbing in their own reality, but they were a distraction to her own...troubled thoughts.

Suddenly her cozy cabin was too small, too warm and too void of oxygen. She felt like she was choking, she placed her hand to her chest, her heart was thumping hard against the fragile tissues that held it in. A panic attack, she told herself, not to worry, just breathe, it will pass.

Slowly, she drew air in through her nose and let it out through her mouth and little by little, she calmed herself. Her cabin had no windows, she couldn’t see the night outside of her four walls. Sakura tied her belt of pouches to her waist, threw a thin blanket over her shoulders to hide her tattered sleeping clothes and stepped out into the crisp night.

She turned her head up to the sky and took in deep lungfuls of air, her body cravign the freedom it gave her, reminding her...she was alone, she was safe...that there was no war here, no blood. Sakura looked down at her fingers where they gripped the blanket to her body, no blood. She sighed. Thank kami.

Sakura wasn’t afraid of blood, not like her old shisou, Lady...Lady....uh...her mind failed her. Again. 

Her shisou, whatever her name might be, had overcome her fear but...Sakura understood it, how it had come to be, how it could come to be. She looked down at her hands once more just to make sure...no, no blood.

Dizziness consumed her, she moaned out loud. The slick hot stickiness filled her nose, she could almost feel the palpitations of a living beating heart in her hands…”Naruto!”, a deep male’s voice called out in her mind.

Ah, the voices were back. She found it...reassuring for once. The silence was gone, the night was fresh...and she was alone, with only her past to comfort her, a past she had yet to fully understand.

What was that though, she wondered as she walked into the dense forest surrounding her. Who was that calling out to Naruto, and who was Naruto she asked herself, the voice, anyone who might answer her in her head as she walked toward the river.

It was well past moon rise, had she slept at all? Her eyes passed over the dark water that rushed by her at her feet. It was spring, the water was high along the bank, cold and moving swiftly. Life, she hummed to the quiet glow of the moon. Death, she cast a downward glance to the blossoms at her feet. A never ending cycle...she sat down on a small jutted rock over the river.

He had been in war council meetings since mid morning. His limbs were telling him it was time to rest, but his mind would not allow it. War was upon them, again. A necessary evil he knew, but he was tired of it, tired of the blood, the hate...the fighting...the death.

With a muffled curse he pushed his way past the dense bracken of the forest and stepped out into the clearing before the river, a familiar river, that he used to go to in his younger years to skip stones, with a friend.

Allanite eyes watched the water’s current rush past him, the cool air from the moving water drifting upward, only to be carried away on the gentle breeze before it could reach his nose. The river looked the same and yet it was different now. The weight of his feet made no sound, his chakra cushioning each step, he was careful. He was alone.

He wasn’t sure if it was his heart or his head that had led him here tonight but as he stood by the river’s edge of the most peaceful days of his childhood, his shoulders relaxed, and the stress of the day flowed down his body and out the tips of his toes. It felt...good to be here, to connect to...what had been lost, what had been tarnished so many years ago.

The river was long and so was the night. A small smirking smile cut the corners of his mouth as he jumped into the air, turning over once, his long spiky black hair whipping around his face, as he landed in the middle of the river, chakra infused feet carrying him above the ever moving currents below...he ran.

He ran swiftly, freely with barely suppressed glee until...he paused, a signature...chakra. His eyes bled and spun looking ahead to where he could barely make out...a woman. A woman alone in the middle of the woods at night…

Madara stepped off of the water back onto the banks of the river and lowered his chakra signature even more than it had been before he had come upon this new discovery. Moving along the treeline he watched her as the night continued to move around him. She wasn’t moving, she merely sat on a rock that jutted out over the river, looking up at the moon.

He analyzed her form, from what he could see, covered as it was by a threadbare blanket, she was small he thought, short but slim. If he had found her during the day he might have thought her a civilian, chakra signature notwithstanding, faint as it was, but here in the moonlight...she looked so mythically serene, it both put him at peace and made the blood thrum in his veins.

He could feel a faint pulsation coming from her, chakra of course but something more, a rhythmic sort of energy, a presence that he couldn’t quite place. 

She stood as he watched her, the blanket falling from her shoulders, her slim arms reaching up to the moon, fingers reaching out, her eyes closed. Long fly away silken locks of silvery rose floated down her back, over her shoulders and framed her face. Madara held his breath, she was...so beautiful, so delicate, she was...was she a goddess, a Tennyo?

He swallowed hard, frozen in place, as his eyes drank in her barely covered shoulders, the thin fabric of the rags she wore that stretched across her hips and upper thighs...how easy it would be he thought to just...peel it all away and have her standing naked before him. Heat began to grow on his cheeks and further down, his body flushing. 

His hand went to his hair and smoothed it back from his face. She didn’t seem to know he was there. He had heard tales of Tennyo, who had been cast down from the heavens to live on earth for misdeeds, those who had run away, for displeasing the gods. 

Madara hadn’t entertained the thought of them existing before now. Myths, legends, they were good stories to tell young shinobi as warnings and lessons, but real...no, he had never thought them to hold a grain of truth, but now... If there was ever an image of a moonlight celestial maiden, it was this woman, here before him...alone in the woods, her hands reaching out for the moon.

He had to move closer, he had to see more of her...he had to be careful. Legend said that if you found and stole the wrap of a Tennyo, she would be forced to become your slave to do with what you will, but if you were unsuccessful, she would steal your soul and you would become her slave instead. Madara was no one’s slave, but she...she would become his. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, yes...he wanted her, he had to own her.

With slow measured steps, Madara moved quietly, closer to the woman, his tomes spinning wildly in his eyes as he recorded her every movement, every rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, every throbbing pulse point that jumped in her neck. She was divine. 

Sakura opened her eyes, the air around her had changed, someone was close by. She couldn’t feel a chakra signature but she wouldn’t, if they were strong, if they were hiding...she licked her lips in nervousness, something was off. There was an energy in the air, ominous and stifling. Intent. 

Goosebumps broke out along her arms and legs, her eyes darting left then right. She knew she wasn’t alone anymore.

Bending at the knees she lowered herself just enough to pick up her blanket. Carefully, she stood again, tossing the blanket over her shoulders and wrapping it over her old ripped and torn jounin blues. The collar had been cut and hung loosely around her shoulders, the pants had been made into shorts that barely covered her thighs. They were torn and tattered like the top, but she had kept them...to sleep in. No one was supposed to see her in them, they were...indecent.

She stood on the rock, her back to the river, her eyes scanning the dark of the forest in front of her. Sakura could make out a shadowy figure that stood just inside the forest tree line, hidden by the thick tree trunks that grew almost side by side, dense and dark. Sakura took a firmer hold on her blanket with one hand and moved the other under the cover of the fabric to her weapons pouch, pulling her only two kunai from her kit.

Crouching down a bit, bending at the knees, she waited...but nothing came. She began to second guess herself, perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her, maybe there wasn’t anyone there…sometimes, shadows lied.

Madara smirked at the Tennyo, did she have a weapon in her hand, did Tennyo use human weapons...he thought not, but he wasn’t sure. Nor did he care once she had turned around to face him. Her blanket covered her body again but he had seen the soft slope of her neck, the pure white creamy skin of her shoulders where the fabric fell away, and the plush sweetness of her modest breasts, barely covered by her shirt.

...but it was her eyes that had him holding his breath. Green like the shallow waters of Rain country in the spring, soft like the moss that would be growing soon on the forest floor and intense like the depths of the ocean where the seaweed grew in vast forests to trap and drown men unlucky enough to stray too close to their clinging vines.

This woman must be a Tennyo Madara surmised, no human woman was this beautiful, this alluring, this dangerously stunning in visual perfection. 

The clan had been pressuring him to marry, to reproduce...who better than a Tennyo who were rumored to have unlimited strength, intelligence and cunning. 

The Tennyo’s head snapped to the side, he had felt them coming but had ignored them, he had much preferred to look at the lovely Tennyo...they were only bandits, nothing for him to worry about, nothing for her to be concerned about. They were however, coming closer. He would go, he would deal with them, then return to claim his prize.

Sakura felt the shift in the air again, turned on her heel, her eyes following the shadow across the water...and then it was gone, too far away for her to track with her senses. So, there had been a man there...a shinobi, but she knew it wasn’t Hashirama, it had felt heavier, his presence had been strong but no less powerful than Hashirama’s, just different.


	4. Chapter 4

Hashirama looked over the rabbits in the hutch trying to decide which rabbit Sakura would like best. Lifting a large chocolate brown one out of the hutch with soft round brown eyes much like his own, he placed the male rabbit into its wooden cage he had made for her, dropping the latch into place and smiling down at the rabbit fondly.

She would love it and he would love to be the one to give it to her.

It was very early, most of the compound was still asleep including his younger brother Tobirama. Hashirama had a war council meeting to go to in a few hours but he had promised Sakura he would visit her and he didn’t want to wait until after the meeting to give her his present. He hoped it wouldn’t be too early by the time he got there...the sun would be rising by then but...he had no idea what kind of habits she kept. He only hoped that the early hour would be forgiven when his gift was presented to her.

Stopping by the bun maker on his way out of the compound he picked up a dozen freshly made egg stuffed buns. He hadn’t had the privilege of being invited into Sakura’s small cabin but could tell she lived modestly, if not poorly and wished to bring her some sort of comfort. Even if the rabbits took to one another quickly, it would still be some time for them to breed enough offspring to fill her pantry for the next winter.

Hashirama waved his free hand to the guards and walked through the front gates of the Senju compound into the forest, then beyond toward the river and Sakura. As he moved he thought about the other friend he had met beside the river in his youth, Madara. No longer a friend by name, only in his heart, he mourned the loss. He hadn’t asked for Sakura’s last name, he hadn’t cared what clan she was from. With hair the color of blossoms and eyes as green as the leaves on their branches, he doubted she was an Uchiha and they were the only known enemies this close to the compound.

Was he making the same mistake again...no, Madara hadn’t been a mistake. If Tobirama and Izuna hadn’t led their father’s to the river that day...if they had more time together to plan to talk to...bond…

Hashirama shifted the rabbit and the cage under his arm. He couldn’t waste time thinking of ‘What ifs’, he had to focus and stay in the ‘now’, and right now, he felt that...Sakura needed him, even if she didn’t know it herself, or welcome his interference in her life. He wanted to...protect her, help her...make her see she could trust him.

As his brother had told him last night, war was coming again, which meant...she was no longer safe where she was. The Uchiha weren’t known for their patience or understanding, their empathy or their sensitivity. She would get caught up in their war, possibly...abused. He couldn’t let that happen, but he had just met her...and she didn’t fully trust him. How could he tell her that she would be in grave danger soon, he wasn’t sure, but he knew he had to warn her.  


So deep in his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed the formula on the bottom of his boot, or that each time he stepped down the formula was imprinted on the branch his foot had kicked off from. 

Tobirama sat up in his bed at the Senju compound. His seal had been triggered, his brother was on the move, moving farther and farther away from the compound. 

Tobirama threw back the covers of his bed and pulled his shirt over his bare chest, tying it at the waist with his sash and slipping his sandals onto his feet. Moving to his desk at the side of his room he pulled the sealing tag from his clipboard and watched his chakra pulse blue along the border every time his brother touched his foot down.

He had infused the seal with enough of his chakra to track Hashirama for a nearly thirty mile radius, though he doubted very much that his brother was going that far. Tobirama was always very careful and overcompensated. Wherever his brother had been spending his time on for the last month, Tobirama would soon find out.

Hashirama set the rabbit down by its new mate on the side of Sakura’s cabin and looked around the empty clearing. He could feel her presence inside of her home but was unsure what he should do. If she was still sleeping, he didn’t wish to wake her, but if she was awake he didn’t want to startle her so early in the day or perhaps in a state of undress.

Deciding to make himself useful, he set her outside fire ablaze with a quick minor wood jutsu stacking the banked coals for her with wood. Taking her cooking pot to the river with the remains of their stew from the night before, he added a bit of water, and was back at her fire before the logs had even shifted under the flames.

Hesitating to disturb her, he made a few quick hand signs and up from the earth popped a decent sized rabbit hutch, complete with nesting areas for the rabbits and a small door she could enter and exit from to care for them. Satisfied with his efforts, he picked up the bag of buns he had brought with him and gently knocked on her front door.

“Ugh, go away Naruto.” Sakura’s voice came through the door to her cabin full of sleep and annoyance.

Naruto, Hashirama took note of the name she had mumbled and knocked again a little more forcefully, blushing slightly. Maybe he could just slide her door open and set the buns by her bed...leave her a note or come back later…

Hashirama frowned when no more noises or feet coming to answer her door came from the other side. Did she not set traps? Were there no protective jutsu around her home while she slept? Just as he was about to slide her door open himself and enter her home, he felt a very annoying and very familiar chakra signature.

“Tobirama.” Hashirama growled, darted to the log beside Sakura’s fire that he had sat on while they had eaten together last night and set the buns down. Before his brother could catch up to him, before he could find out about Sakura, Hashirama ran, jumped and darted across the river, into the forest heading away from Sakura’s cabin at a breakneck speed.

Tobirama felt his brother moving fast, changed his direction to follow him, marking the spot mentally in his mind where his brother had stopped momentarily so that he could came back when he had more time, and raced after his brother flashing every one hundred feet to cut him off before Hashirama got back to heir compound.

“Hashirama, what are you doing out here so early and why are you running from me?” Tobirama eyed his brother in half annoyance, half exasperation.

“Tobi, why are you following me?” Hashirama turned on his branch to face his younger brother, his chakra pulsed out and around them once, then twice. 

He was annoyed and a little angry that his time with Sakura had been cut short because of Tobirama’s interference. Why couldn’t his brother just let him be. He had gotten up early to come see her now, before the meeting so that he wouldn’t miss it. He was being responsible, just like Tobirama wanted him to be and still...he had followed him. 

“...and how did you follow me?” Hashirama narrowed his eyes uncharacteristically at his brother who took a step back at the look in his eyes.

Tobirama opened his mouth to answer his brother but paused. Hashirama, who hardly ever got angry, was angry at him. 

“I wanted to know where you’ve been going brother I...was worried about you. You missed the meeting yesterday, there are more Uchiha in the area than before. Madara has called his clan back to their compound, called them back from their missions, in preparation for war.”

“Ah.” Hashirama’s tone softened and his eyes creased into a relaxed smile. “Thank you Tobi but you need not worry about me. I was careful. I only wanted to check on something before the meeting this morning. I wasn’t going to miss the meeting today.”

Tobirama nodded, his mind whirling...check on what, why and why was it so important to his brother to check on it before their meeting rather than after their meeting? He voiced none of his questions however, it was clear his brother didn’t wish for him to know and wouldn’t tell him. Whatever was luring his elder brother out into the woods was cunning, he could tell by the far away look in his brother’s eyes as he looked over his shoulder, back in the direction of the river.

“If that’s all Tobi, I think I will be going. I will be back for the meeting, don’t worry.” Hashirama jumped to the next branch, waving over his shoulder, a smile on his face.

Tobirama stood in the tree and watched his brother disappear into the forest, turned on his heel and ran back to the Senju compound with more questions in his head than answers.

Once he realized Tobirama was no longer following him Hashirama slowed down to a regular pace. Sakura had obviously still been asleep when he had gotten there the first time so he decided to make a small detour to a field he knew had an abundance of wild flowers. Women liked flowers, even kunoichi...at least that’s what his cousin had told him before she had died.

Hashirama could smell the blood in the air, the voided bowels and the smell of death before he stepped into the field. Bandits but...they were all dead, brutally murdered...by who? Hashirama walked up to the first man and bent over slightly at the waist, a slash to the throat, clean, precise...shinobi, Hashirama looked around the rest of the field and saw that the rest were the same. All dead, all clean kills, all killed by a shinobi.

Could it have been Sakura? Hashirama swallowed, he had seen how deadly the woman could be but he doubted she had done this. There was a brutality to it that he didn’t think she possessed. He didn’t have time to bury them right now. He still wanted to see Sakura before he had to go back to his compound.

Stepping over the dead men who lay in contrast to the beauty that surrounded them, Hashirama picked a large handful of flowers and left the field, promising the dead he would return to bury them properly when time allotted.

She was sitting by the fire he had stoked for her, eating one of the buns he had brought her, when he dropped down from the nearest tree to her cabin and smiled.

“Good morning Sakura.” Hashirama smiled and bowed slightly to the woman who gave him a hesitant smile in return. “I am glad you found the buns. I left them here for you.”

She blinked at him.

“I uh, stopped by earlier, perhaps a bit too early.” Hashirama rubbed the back of his head under his hair self consciously, then stopped, when he noticed the slightly stricken look on Sakura’s face at his gesture.

Hashirama stuck his hand out with the flowers in them. “For you.” His cheeks puffed out and he blushed.

“Thank you…” Sakura frowned at the flowers, but took them nevertheless, setting them on the log ebside her.

It seemed the hard earned friendliness of the night before had evaporated with the first rays of sunlight. Hashirama sat down opposite Sakura and tried to smile kindly at her to put her at ease. “Did you sleep well?”

Sakura looked past his shoulder, out into the woods toward the river. “You weren’t here last night by chance, were you?” She asked him, her eyes never leaving his.

“Me?” Hashirama shook his head. “No, I went home after I left you...was...did something happen?” Did she know about the slaughtered bandits, he wondered.

“I couldn’t sleep last night.” She began tearing a piece of the bun off in her hands, smooshing the light and fluffy dough into a more compact, denser ball, then popping it into her mouth and chewing as she thought over her next words. “I walked to the river to look at the moon.”

Hashirama waited for her to continue, there was obviously something she needed or wanted to tell him, but she seemed unsure of herself which he found odd...yesterday she had been so confident, if not very cautious.

“I thought I felt a presence, something dark and...intrusive almost. I had thought it might have been you, come back for whatever reason but...it wasn’t you, I know that.” She shivered a little. “I almost hoped that it was, then I wouldn’t have to worry...too much.”

Hashirama’s heart skipped a beat. She wouldn’t have minded if he had come back again later that night, in the middle of the night...no, that’s not what she meant he berated himself. She had felt something ominous and had hoped she had been wrong. She meant he was preferable than whatever dark intent had found her by the river...but part of Hashirama couldn’t help but be overjoyed that she was also saying, she was starting to trust him.

Trust might be a bit too hopeful he amended when she narrowed her eyes at him over her bun. He realized he had been smiling, while staring at her...he flushed in embarrassment. “Ah, no it wasn’t me but I did find a field of bandits not far from here, maybe you felt them moving in the night and became uneasy?”

“Maybe.” Sakura said, looking at the door of her cabin. She knew it wasn’t the bandits she had felt, just as she knew Hashirama knew it wasn’t the bandits either.

“You didn’t have to leave, but I assume you wanted to avoid whomever it was that followed you here this morning. You didn’t know you were followed, did you?” Sakura’s keen green eyes turned to meet Hashirama’s soft brown.

She was a sensor then...like Tobirama, like him...but maybe...not as good of a sensor as Tobirama. Tobirama could find him when he wiped his chakra signature but he knew Sakura...hadn’t.

“My brother, Tobirama.” Hashirama apologized but stopped when the woman flinched at his brother’s name. 

“Do you know him?” A spark of jealousy filled his head but he quickly extinguished it. 

Nonsense, Sakura and Tobirama had never met. Tobirama would have told him about her, or asked if he knew her. Of course...he hadn’t told Tobirama about her and was actively trying to keep her a secret from him, from the world.

Sakura shook her head as though trying to dislodge a painful thought in her head. Hashirama wondered for a moment if she had been standing, would she have stumbled or taken a step back like she had yesterday, with that far away look in her eyes.

“Sakura, are you feeling alright?” Hashirama asked her softly, he was a little worried about her. 

She seemed to have dizzy spells, or some kind of pains frequently enough to disorientate her, putting her at risk and making her vulnerable. He knew she lived here alone. What if something happened to her and she couldn’t take care of herself, or someone attacked her and she lost her balance and got hurt, or worse...he didn’t like thinking of her out here all by herself, unprotected.

“I’m fine. I just need more sleep. I’m sorry.” She picked up her cup and took a drink of her water. 

“Thank you for my rabbit Hashirama.” Sakura smiled at the hutch he had made her and at the rabbit he had brought her. “So, a mokuton user huh?”

She didn’t seem very surprised, which surprised him. “Yes, how did you know, I mean...you recognized it?”

Sakura nodded. “It’s familiar to me but I don’t know why.” She frowned into her cup. “Oh! I have been so rude. Would you like some tea Hashirama?” She rose to her feet to make him some tea but he stopped her by leaning forward and placing his hand over hers.

“Thank you, but do not trouble yourself. I must go actually. That is why I came so early. I do not know how long my um, engagement will require my attention, and I did tell you I would come today and bring you your rabbit.” He smiled at her, a smile as soothing and as bright as the sun.

Sakura blushed and looked down to where his hand was still touching hers, watched as his fingers curled and he took her hand in his. 

“I would like to come back, afterward though, providing it is not too late?” He asked her.

“That would be...I mean, yes, I would like that.” She rose when he did, her hand moving with his. “I suppose we could eat the rest of the stew from last night. Thank you for setting my fire for me and for the buns...and the rabbit...and the hutch.” She giggled, and the sounds of silver bells filled the small clearing.

Hashirama squeezed her hand gently and nodded. He would never tire of hearing her laugh, her giggle...“I would like that very much.”

They both stood there for an awkward moment, not sure if they should continue speaking or if they should say goodbye. Hashirama recovered first, remembering the bandits he had told her about.

“Be careful Sakura. I have no idea who the presence belonged to that set your senses on alert last night, but it may have been the shinobi who slaughtered those bandits I found. Please be careful. I promise I will come back later, even if I can not stay, just to check on you, okay?” Hashirama brought his other hand up to cover their joined hands but thought better of it and it dropped limply to his side. He didn’t want to scare her away or ruin the progress he had made thus far by gaining her hesitant friendship.

“Thank you Hashirama, it’s...kinda nice to have someone...to talk to again. That knows I exist.” Sakura dropped his hand and took a small step back from the man. She realized her actions were in complete contrast to her words but she felt...it might be best to maintain a polite distance between them. A distance of reserve or respect.

Hashirama nodded. He understood, she was trying to maintain proper distance. She was right of course, he shouldn’t have touched her, but he couldn’t help but grin at the fact that...she hadn’t pulled away, or attacked him this time.


	5. Chapter 5

Tobirama leaned against the tree, hidden in the shadows, his chakra reduced to nothing with the assistance of a well placed seal over his chakra channels behind his heart, in between his shoulders, on his back. So this is where his brother had been spending his spare time...with this...woman. She didn’t seem like anything special, aside from her looks at first glance.

Tobirama watched his brother glide effortlessly through the thickening trees, the early morning sun glinting off of his long chestnut hair as it whipped around his face and down his back snapping with each leap until he was gone, lost to the leaves and the distance.

Turning back, he saw the woman standing just as his brother had left her, looking off after him as he disappeared. She continued to look for several more moments even though it was clear, she could no longer see even the shadow of the man, who had visited her that morning.

He wondered what she could be thinking.

She was a short creature. Tobirama took in her appearance with care. The color of her hair was outrageous and yet...it suited her well. On another it would look horrible, with any other eye color it would clash terribly but...with her green eyes she looked rather pretty, Tobirama thought. 

He could see why his brother, of all people, would be enamored with a woman such as her but he thought there was more than just plain attraction on his brother’s behalf. His brother wasn’t attracted to just her looks, by their conversation, there were more feelings behind this meeting. Tobirama wasn’t good at expressing feelings but he could sense intent well, better than most, and he didn’t feel like this woman held any ill intent toward his brother.

Tobirama had doubled back and followed his brother to the point he had marked in his head, and had watched them, heard them speak to one another...knew she was cautious and...hiding something from his brother. She was clever. He could tell that she thought about her words before she spoke them, held back half of her thoughts that her more than expressive eyes gave away, and was reluctant to smile...as though she had learned that smiling too much set you up for unwanted disappointment.

Who was she, Tobirama wanted to know. She didn’t look like anyone he had ever seen before. She wasn’t dark eyed or dark haired like the Uchiha, not blonde and blue eyed like the Yamanaka, or lilac eyed and dark haired like the Hyuga, nor even crass and bold like the Inuzuka. A Sarutobi perhaps? Even then, she didn’t quite fit their makeup. An Uzumaki? He’d yet to meet an Uzumaki with pink hair but...it wasn’t impossible…

Tobirama had noticed she hadn’t been swayed to cooing over the flowers Hashirama had picked for her, had frowned at them, instead of smiling at them. Didn’t most women like flowers? Strange of her. Not that he knew anything of women. He only knew what their cousin Toka had told them, but Toka was a strange woman herself. Perhaps he had been misled.

What concerned Tobirama more about his brother’s conversation with this woman, almost more than the unknown woman herself, was this strange dark intrusive presence she had felt by the river last night. She hadn’t known what it was, nor had his brother. Tobirama didn’t either and he, like them, doubted it was the bandits.

Tobirama watched the woman move about her small clearing. She was feeding bits of grass and leaves to her rabbits. He noticed the workmanship of the hutch. Hashirama’s handiwork, clearly he was trying to impress the woman. She had recognized his brother’s wood style, that was a bit impressive, he would admit, but not unheard of. His brother was rather famous in the shinobi world.

Tobirama wasn’t sure what to make of this strange woman. By their conversation it was clear the woman was a kunoichi, but she didn’t seem to be as good of a sensor as he was, nor his brother. Of course he had never met a kunoichi who was a good sensor, there simply weren’t that many kunoichi around, being a new trend due to the dwindling numbers of shinobi because of the ongoing wars.

Why was she alone, living out in the middle of nowhere by herself...was she a spy, for a rival clan perhaps? The Uchiha? A distraction planted here to gather information about the Senju...that is what would have been Tobirama’s first thought but the woman didn’t ask Hashirama anything, didn’t offer any information to lure him in...even that didn’t make sense to him. Wouldn’t she want to know about Hashirama and his wood style?

He didn’t like that his brother had been keeping this from him, that he hadn’t told him this woman was here so close to their compound, but he understood it. The last person Hashirama had met in the woods and befriended had been Madara Uchiha, and the outcome hadn’t gone well, partially due to Tobirama’s interference. 

Maybe it was that residual guilt, a moment of weakness, for the love of his only remaining brother that he decided...to keep his secret. He would watch from afar, but not interfere this time unless he was sure she meant to do his brother harm. He could tell, this was important to Hashirama, even though he could also tell the woman and his brother hadn’t known one another long.

They seemed nothing more than strangers...had Hashirama been...observing the woman until recently? It didn’t seem like something his brother would do, but his brother had been disappearing periodically for over a month now. It required too much self control, too much patience, but if he had, then it also meant she was indeed someone special to his brother, someone he didn’t want to scare away.

Tobirama watched the woman rise from her task and look down at the rabbits fondly. He recognized the large chocolate brown one from their own hutch at the Senju compound and rolled his eyes. A present from his brother no doubt. She might not like flowers very much, his eyes darted to the weeds laying on the log that were clearly forgotten, but she liked furry little woodland creatures.

The wind was picking up. He would need to leave soon for their meeting at the compound. His brother would return to see her, he had told her as much, probably after the meeting, maybe he would follow him, just in case. For his brother, he told himself, as the woman stretched and yawned against the rising sun, blinking those bright green eyes of hers.

For his brother...Tobirama silently and gracefully jumped to the next tree branch, then the next and away. He would just come back, follow Hashirama to make sure he made it to Sakura’s safely. Sakura...what a fitting name for the woman. Tobirama had never been fond of the color pink but as he ran over the treetops, he thought that perhaps he liked it a bit better than he had yesterday or the day before.

Sakura looked into the dense trees beside her cabin. She could feel the inquisitive presence moving away in the same direction Hashirama moved. She knew it must be his younger brother, Tobirama, that he spoke of over breakfast. Sakura realized that she hadn’t felt his chakra, that it was something else, intent...emotion...energy.

Like at the river, when she had felt that darkness, that intense energy and presence, only Tobirama, for it must be him...his energy was fluid feeling, contained, controlled and ridgid all at the same time. Flashes of a tall man struck her hard in the mind, her hand, palm tight slapped against her chest as her lungs constricted.

Sakura closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing. The vision swept over her, the more she tried to focus on it, to concentrate on the image...the memory. Up until recently she had tried to push these thoughts and visions aside because they had caused her such pain, while others terrified her but...perhaps she was wrong to do that, perhaps on the more pleasant ones she would try to embrace them. 

He was tall, dressed in blue, had a fur collar of snow white and the most beautiful red eyes…”Albino.” She whispered. She knew him and yet…

”Ah.” Her hands came up to the side of her head and she fell to her knees. The pain, it was getting more intense. “Stop.” She panted. Maybe it was a mistake to try to concentrate on the visions, maybe they weren’t meant to be clarified.

“Ah.” Her pulse throbbed painfully in her veins as another picture flashed before her eyes, then came to life before her inner eye...long hair, chestnut hair blew in the wind on top of a cliff, high above a river. Two men faced one another. One was Hashirama, the other was...she shook her head. Black hair, long and unruly, spiked from the top to the bottom shot out in all directions, a massive fan like weapon in one hand a sickle shaped bone blade in the other...who...who was it.

“Ugh.” She felt sick. Her head was spinning. 

“Can’t...think.” She moaned, collapsing onto her side, her eyes closed. Breath, she told herself. In, one, two...out one, two...breathe she told herself over and over until the haze that had enveloped her mind subsided.

“Damn it.” Sakura groaned, her breath coming more naturally, more even. She opened her eyes, not caring that she was laying on the ground, spread her arms and legs out and continued to concentrate on her breathing until the sickness passed and her stomach settled.

It had been getting progressively worse over the months she had been here. These visions of her past, these dreams...she wasn’t sure what they were. She knew some of them were hers but others...they seemed to be someone else’s like she was a bystander, a voyeur looking in on something private, something profound. She had no idea how that could even be. How could she see something that she had never been a part of before...she didn’t know. 

She did know that the clothes people wore in some of her visions looked nothing like the clothes people wore in her other visions. She wore one style, while Hashirama wore the other. Like everything else in her head...she had no idea what it meant, but she knew it meant something significant.

Sakura sighed heavily, turning her head left and right, her rabbits were looking at her, their noses twitching back and forth...she smiled. “There’s a lot to do today. I should probably get to work.”

She leapt to her feet and finger combed her hair. Last year she hadn’t known how long she would be here so she hadn’t put forth any effort in making her cabin more convenient. It had been winter when she had...come, so that left little more than finding food and staying warm for her to do. This spring though, she had plans. The rabbits were only the beginning.

Choosing to use her chakra as little as possible she had walked to and from the river for her water, aside from the small jutsu she had done in front of Hashirama because she refused to turn her back on an unknown to gather water. It had been annoying and tedious in the high snow and hot and painful in the summer heat.

She had used her winter hours wisely. After foraging for winter carrots and wild roots, she would make the trek to the river every other day or every few days as her needs required. Each trip, she mapped the route out in her mind, each tree, the current, the rocks and the game trails. It had taken a week before she had the plan drawn on paper. All she needed to do was wait for spring.

The ground had thawed, the birds were calling back and forth, hopping along the new spring buds that were bursting from their winter dormancy. Sakura stretched her arms above her head and twisted the knots from her back, it was time to get to work.

There were only two egg stuffed buns left from Hashirama’s gift, they would go well with a bowl of stew for lunch, so she wrapped them back up, set them on a high shelf in her cabin and made the one handed sign of sealing. Pulling her plans that she had drawn a few weeks ago from her pouch, she walked into the woods, toward the river.

She would need to walk up the bank a little ways for her idea to work she thought. She wasn’t an engineer by any means but she knew the basic laws of physics well enough to know where to set her idea in motion. Step by step she walked surveying the river bank, looking for a whirl or a drop in the normal current...there, she saw the circular motion on the surface of the water and moved down where the water met the dirt.

This is where she would start digging, with as little chakra as possible, to mold the earth just enough to get a foothold in the bank. She would shift the terrain and make the water work for her instead of against her. Once the initial narrow path was dug, the water would do the rest, at least up until a certain point, then she could come back and help redirect the current, dig and place trees that she would cut down to make her own private waterway to her cabin...and an outdoor bath.

Kneeling in the cold spring water she reached down with her hands cupping them and digging around the bank of rough dirt and pebbles until the resistance of the original bank broke and revealed the softer dirt to her. Little by little she scooped the dirt out with her semi chakra infused hands until there was a nice two by two foot hole in the side of the riverbank.

Pushing herself up from the ground she looked back into the dense forest, eyeing several trees she had planned on digging either through or around for her purpose and climbed out of the muddy water.

One by one she ripped the trees from the ground and laid them out on the invisible path she wanted her new waterway to follow. One by one she broke the branches from the trunks to take back to her cabin and use as firewood. It wasn’t the wisest decision to use her chakra but...she had little choice if she wanted this done and done quickly. If she could get it done fast enough, it would lessen the likelihood of someone detecting her signature.

By the time she had felled her six huge trees with trunks as wide as three feet she moved back to where she had started her hole in the bank and smiled. Her plan was working, little by little, the river’s current was washing away the dirt in the hole she had started making it wider and deeper as the water swirled and rushed by. She only needed to wait a little more, then she would start digging once more and lay down her logs to brace back the new bank of her waterway.

In the meantime Sakura moved onto the next part of her plan. Stones big and small were needed to line the bottom of the Sakura created tributary so the mud and leaves wouldn’t block the flow from the master river. Pulling her storage scroll from her pouch she pressed a bit of chakra into it and pulled the scroll taunt and away from her body along the bank as rocks and pebbles of all sizes emptied from the scroll onto the ground at her feet. The pile was so large she had to step back several times so her legs and feet didn’t get buried from the volume of stones she had collected since last winter for this purpose.

Sakura worked throughout the morning, stopping only briefly for lunch, then went back to work on her project. Late afternoon blossomed around her. The sun shone brightly and the day was warning. The water wasn’t as cold as it had been this morning and she welcomed the coolness against her heat flushed skin as she laid her last tree trunk along the final stretch.

With a hand to her brow and a smile on her face she turned to meet the curious eyes of Hashirama Senju, who had come to see her after his meeting, as promised.

“Sakura.” Hashirama bowed, his eyes traveling over her clothes that were plastered to her body with wet. “What is this?” He asked her, his cheeks only slightly pink at the wet strands of pink hair sticking to her wet and flushed neck.

“It’s a tributary. I’m making it for myself.” Sakura climbed out of the three foot deep tributary and bowed politely to Hashirama who was peering over the trunk of the tree holding up the sides.

“You’re using trees to keep the earth back and stones to line the floor. That’s...brilliant but, how did you...those trees are massive. How did you cut them down?” Hashirama looked around the forest floor and saw no tools of any kind. 

“I used my chakra.” Sakura smiled shyly. 

She had done a lot of thinking while she had worked and decided that Hashirama, though a stranger meant her no harm. Call it a hunch but she honestly felt like she could trust him. His brother on the other hand...she wasn’t so sure about. However he had made no move against her, so for now...she would keep that information and her thoughts on the matter to herself.

“Your chakra?” Hashirama’s confusion brought her back from her thoughts.

“Yes.” Sakura moved behind him, making him turn to keep her in his line of sight, bent at the knees, wrapped her arms around a tree like the ones she had pulled up before and ripped it up from the ground, turned and laid it beside her tributary. “See?”

“Holy shit.” Hashirama’s mouth dropped open in shock as he stepped back and away from the mess of branches at his feet. “How, I mean, you just showed me how, but my gosh woman, you’re the strongest kunoichi I have ever met.”

“You mean Shinobi. I doubt you have ever seen anyone do that before.” Sakura put her hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side watching the man before her. 

It had been a risk showing him her strength. It had been a risk giving him a bowl of stew last night. He already knew she was there, there was no turning back now. Maybe if he knew how strong she was, he wouldn’t worry, she got the impression he was the worrying type when he had warned her about living in the woods alone.

“Ah yes, you’re right about that.” Hashirama swallowed visibly and looked back at her...tributary. “So you’ve rerouted part of the river to flow by your cabin I assume?”

“Yes. Let me show you, but just a moment, I’m almost done.” Sakura stripped down the trunk of the tree that she had pulled from the ground and cut it into threes, laying the trunk pieces one of the other at the end of the tributary before it flowed back into the main river. 

“I redirected the water two miles up.” Sakura pointed up the river. “Dug my tributary to circle past my cabin with the same flow of the main river and then empty here.” She pointed to the three trunk pieces again. “The river’s natural current pushes the water, I just moved part of it for my convenience.”

“That way the water level up to my cabin will remain high without my having to dig away more of the forest's natural soil and allow me easy access to any fish that get caught in my tributary without letting them swim away.” She patted the logs at the end of the stream she had created fondly.

Hashirama watched the water pool and flow over the top like a damn, but saw that she had left space in between the logs as well to promote water flow, only small enough so that large fish wouldn’t be able to swim through, letting the smaller fish continue on their merry way.

“You’re smart, like my brother Tobirama, he builds things like this out of nothing too.” Hashirama rubbed his chin. No, he didn’t want his brother around Sakura...not yet.

Sakura didn’t say anything, only nodded. They stood there silently for quite some time. Sakura looked over her handiwork checking for flaws and Hashirama looked over her handiwork and at her out of the corner of his eye.

“You said that this runs by your cabin as well?” Hashirama broke the silence first.

“Yes.” Sakura nodded again.

“May I...see it?” Hashirama was curious to see how she had made such difference in the land in such a short time but...given her talents with her chakra control...he eyed a tree trunk in the water, he understood, but it was still pretty impressive.

“If you like.” Sakura watched his eyes as they darted from tree trunk to tree trunk, then down into the clear water at the rocks and pebbles. “I haven’t finished everything yet, but I need to be back at the cabin for that anyway.”

Hashirama followed her as she turned and started walking back to her cabin on foot. He wondered if she walked to save chakra. He thought it must have taken an incredible amount of chakra to build her tributary so quickly and also wondered why he hadn’t been able to sense her strong chakra signature. 

He hadn’t even sensed it when she had pulled the tree from the ground not two feet from him. Her signature was there but it was no stronger than it had been yesterday or the many days before he had spent watching her without her knowing. It was as though she had a regulator on her, but he hadn’t seen one. Regulator seals were large and clumsy, they repressed usable chakra on the wearer but allowed them to use their repressed chakra with minimal signature...but Hashirama swore Sakura wasn’t utilizing one.

“Sakura, are you using a chakra regulator?” Hashirama made conversation with the woman as they walked back to her cabin together.

“A regulator? I have heard of those, but they aren’t used anymore, there are better seals in the form of chakra suppressant pills, like soldier pills. Why would you ask if I was using one?” She asked him curiously.

Hashirama smiled, she was much more responsive today, more than she had been even that morning to him. “Your chakra, it didn’t fluctuate, even when you pulled the tree from the ground. I thought perhaps you were stifling it.”

Sakura stopped walking and looked at him confused. “It didn’t?” It should have, she didn’t understand.

Hashirama shook his head. She didn’t know. “Could you try something for me?”

Her eyes narrowed at him, suspicious of what he might suggest. It reminded him of yesterday, when they had first met. “Just a test of your chakra, to see if it is detectable or emitting a higher or lower signature” He said quickly, relieved when her face relaxed again.

“Oh, of course.” Sakura infused both of her hands with her chakra making it jump and spike around her, then pulled it back in and around herself suppressing it back to her previously relaxed state. “Did it fluctuate?” She asked him.

“No.” Hashirama stared at her in confusion. “It should have, but it remained the same, as though...as though you weren’t using chakra at all.”


	6. Chapter 6

Well that’s great, Sakura growled in annoyance inside her head. She could have been using her chakra all this time without risk. She laughed at herself, but in her own defence, how would she have known that if not for the assistance of another shinobi...still. She sighed.

“I wish I had known that sooner. I walked back and forth to the damn river in five feet of snow half the time.” She grumbled, forgetting Hashirama was there until he laughed.

“At least you know now, but that isn’t the main concern here is it Sakura?” He said more seriously.

“No.” She understood what he meant. Why...why couldn’t he feel her chakra rise and fall with use? She had no answers, no more than he did. 

“Maybe…” Her fingers reached up, pushing her bangs aside, and rubbed her Yin seal on her forehead absently.

“Is that a seal?” Hashirama stepped forward making Sakura take two steps back, knee bent at the ready. 

“I apologize Sakura. In my curiosity I overstepped my boundaries with you again.” He laughed, his hand twitching by his side, resisting the urge to rub the back of his head. He knew it upset her, but it was a common habit of his, he hoped she would get used to it with time.

Sakura watched his fingers twitch, he had wanted to rub the back of his head...she smiled, he had refrained from the gesture for her. That was thoughtful.

“It is a Yin seal but I don’t recall how I got it only that I know it took me a couple of years to fill it adequately.” Sakura started walking back toward her cabin again, looking behind her to see if he was following her. He was.

“I can’t believe you did all of this by yourself, while I was gone…” He waved a hand gracefully at the water way that flowed past her cabin. He could see she had tried to make a platform with stones but it didn’t look quite right. The stones were lopsided and uneven. 

“If you will allow me, I could make you a small platform to make it easier for you to step into the water. I see that you made the dip wider here, no doubt for bathing and laundry?” He asked.

Sakura nodded, then smiled. “I didn’t want to cut down more trees than necessary, but it would be nice to have a platform to step down into the water more easily. Due to the bend here, most of my smaller stones that I used to line the bottom have already shifted.” She shrugged. 

“I can help you with that.” Hashirama was pleased he could do this small thing for her. “I could use my wood style, it is simple enough.”

“Oh, yes I suppose, thank you...Hashirama.” Sakura bowed politely at his offer.

Hashirama liked how her voice softened when she said his name, he liked talking with her like this, he liked how she enjoyed doing things herself for herself. Most of all though, he liked how she was allowing him to do this small thing for her.

“It is my pleasure Sakura.” Hashirama turned away from her, made the hand signs with the general layout of what he wished to create in his head, then slammed his open palms to the ground before them near the edge of the bank.

Flat wooden beams shot up from the ground and curved into one another making rails, steps and flat utility platforms. He sent his chakra out in waves and each section of his creation unfolded down the bank to the water in the form of stairs, troughs and pegs. 

Just when she thought he was finished, he made three more rapid hand signs and pressed his palms to the ground again, then made the horse sign, his right finger clasped up covering his other palm, bending the second finger of his left hand around both...and wooden planks shot across the three foot wide creek to serve as a bathing platform for her.

Sakura watched as the water settled back down to flow smoothly over the now submerged bathing platform, giggling slightly at the convenient shelves he had made along the side.

“Wow. I wish I could do that.” Sakura ran her hand along the rail in front of her. “This is incredibly useful.” Her mouth twitched as she smiled at Hashirama.

“Yes. Forget battle, I will be known throughout the five great nations as the best bridge and furniture maker in the world.” He laughed out loud, a deep booming laugh.

She smirked. “There are worse things to be known for.” Sakura stepped out onto the platform, admiring the stability of his creation. “Oh, is this a clothes rack?”

“Yes, I have made ones similar for the women in my compound, they tell me it makes their chores much easier. Not as much bending over.” He looked at the drying bars he had made for her and smiled.

Sakura nodded, moving down the steps one at a time to the platform in the water. “A bench.” She peered down beyond the water’s surface to see a small bench sitting in the water.

“To sit on while you...bathe.” Hashirama nodded, watching her analyze his work.

It was more than she had hoped for, more than she could have done on her own. He had even made wooden troughs along the side of the deck that were half immersed in the water for washing dishes or laundry, a draining rack out of the water next to the immersion trough. “You’ve really thought of everything haven’t you?” She was grateful.

“I’m glad you like it.” Hashirama said quietly. 

She didn’t bow on her knees, or even at the waist, the gesture didn’t come naturally to her. She was pleased with his efforts he could tell and she had said as much, but...she didn’t react like most people would, of this time. By her speech alone he could tell she was well educated, a lady he assumed by her actions, her attitude. He knew she wasn’t a peasant or a civilian born, she was too powerful, too skilled to be.

...and yet, she had so little from what he had seen. Her clothes were ragged, worn and needed replacing. He could tell easily that they had originally been well made, expensive and of good quality, but they were old now. He couldn’t help but think that she had run away from her clan...an arranged marriage maybe, one she had refused…

His imagination was getting the better of him but...it wouldn’t be the first time a bride did not approve of her intended. She was as strong willed as she was strong in body. Hashirama could easily see her running from an arranged marriage.

He still had no better idea of who she was or where she had come from than yesterday or the day before but he knew she wasn’t a threat, just as he knew she was starting to warm up to him, little by little. His patience was starting to pay off.

“Allow me a moment to change my clothes and I will make us some tea. There is still stew from the other night and two of the rolls you brought with you this morning, if you’re hungry and wish to join me?” Sakura blushed a little as she offered the Senju dinner by her fire for his efforts.

“I would be delighted.” Hashirama bowed, trying very hard not to grin like an idiot and retain his dignity. She was blushing at him, did she...look at him the way he...

The woman looked at him, with those green eyes, surveying his reaction. For the briefest of moments he felt like he was being judged, as though she was coming to her own conclusion or making an important decision about him and his presence in her clearing. The light changed in her eyes as she continued to watch him silently. He returned her gaze just as boldly...and then she smiled. She had decided.

“Make yourself comfortable. I will be right back.” Sakura moved to the door of her cabin, stopped and turned around to face Hashirama once more. “Thank you Hashirama, for your kindness.” She said quietly before disappearing into her small cabin.

He swallowed his heart in his throat...she had accepted him. Part of him wanted to jump in the air and fist pump in his joy, another part wanted to jump in the air and whoop his pleasure like a child, but he knew he couldn’t. Instead, he moved to stoke her fire and fill her kettle from the new platform by her creek that he had made her.

Inside her cabin, Sakura pulled an old orange shirt on over her head and a pair of slowly fraying jeans. She only had one other shirt to her name, and knew now that it was spring, she would need to travel into a village to get new clothes. She had no idea where the closest village was though, or what enemies might lay in between her and the village. She would have to ask Hashirama, he would know...perhaps he would be willing to take her.

Sakura had a little money on her. She had healing skills she could use as trade but she didn’t know the measure of the society around her. In her small clearing she was alone, safe and no one judged her. Out there...she looked at the door of her cabin, it was a vast unknown.

Sakura stepped out of her cabin to find Hashirama by the fire, pouring out two mugfuls of hot water from her kettle in the fire. 

“I didn’t have any tea on me and didn’t want to look through your shelves. ” He apologized, nodding to the outside shelves on the opposite side of her cabin.

“I keep it on me, in case I am away from the cabin.” Sakura handed him her small pouch of herbs from her larger pouch.

“There doesn’t seem to be much left, do you...I mean, I do not wish to be rude but do you have more in your cabin?” Hashirama asked hesitantly.

“No, my supplies have dwindled considerably over the winter. I was actually going to ask you where the nearest village was. I have a bit of money and there are a few things I need that the forest can not provide for me.” Sakura explained her situation to him, allowing him to offer to escort her if he desired, but she wouldn’t ask it of him. He had already done too much for her with the rabbit and the platform for her creek.

“You wish to go into the village?” Hashirama didn’t like that idea at all. As far as he knew, no one knew she was here and he wished for it to remain that way.

“Yes I need some clothes.” She laughed a little , that light tinkling laugh that he admired so much. “Mine are getting a bit threadbare.” She blushed in embarrassment.

“There is a village, over the rise but…” How could he express his concern without offending her…”Here, hidden in the dense forest, you are safe but in a village you, I mean no offense Sakura but you have a very unique look to your person, you would draw far too much attention to yourself. It wouldn’t be safe for you in the village. Someone might follow you back here to your home.”

Sakura had already thought of that. She didn’t want to go into a village, in fact, the very thought of leaving her small safe haven made her stomach turn and her head ache. “I understand your concern Hashirama, they are mine as well but, there are things I need, like I said that I can not get from the forest.”

They sat in silence for a time. Each lost in their own thoughts sipping their tea. Sakura rose from her seat by the fire and went to her cabin to get bowls for their stew. Hashirama rose to follow her, interested and curious what the inside of her cabin looked like. He stuck his head in through the door and peeked around, taking in the modest display. She had very little, he hadn’t realized how little she had before now.

There was one shirt folded on the shelf by her pallet and what appeared to be rags for undergarments. There was a small bag of rice, three bowls, two cups and three plates on a shelf in the corner, aside from the ones they were using. She had a pallet to one side of her indoor fire pit and the main living area was raised up on a traditional platform but everything else was bare. It seemed she didn’t even have the meager essentials most peasants had. How had she survived the winter?

Sakura saw his eyes dart around her cabin and stammered with her next words. It was a little embarrassing, she knew she didn’t have a lot but she didn’t want his pity. “I have storage scrolls. These are not my only possessions.”

“Ah. Of course.” Hashirama said quickly, nodding to her and following her back out to her fire and the stew. He should have brought her more rabbits.

“What did you need from the village, there is another village that has more domestic goods, if that is what you need?” He thought she could do with a desk or an oil lamp at the very least. She didn’t even have a table or a chair to sit on inside her cabin. He would make her some, before he left, if she would allow it.

“Mostly just a new set of clothes, maybe some weapons. I have two kunai left and a few other...simple shinobi weapons.” She didn’t want him to know how ill prepared she was if she were to be attacked. She had her fists and her strength, but she would rather not use that to fight if she had to and she couldn’t, if they attacked her at home. It would destroy her cabin.

“I would like to plant a garden. I will need seeds and maybe a few starter plants.” She hummed to herself as she dished out their stew.

“There is no need to go into the village for such things. I can provide you with those simples from my compound’s gardens. I will bring them to you tomorrow.” Hashirama took the bowl of stew from her with thanks.

“No.” Sakura said as she picked up her own bowl of stew and sipped. “You have done too much for me already. Anymore and it would be...inappropriate Hashirama.”

She didn’t wish to be rude but they had just met... were much more friendly and relaxed around one another now but...they weren’t exactly friends, yet. Sakura didn’t wish to be indebted to him anymore than she already felt she was.

Hashirama frowned but said nothing. He understood but...it really was an easy task for him. His clan had plenty. Plenty of plants and seeds to spare, plenty of clothes to give someone who had nothing, plenty of rabbits to assist her with her hutch. His clan had plenty and she had so little

“Where is this village Hashirama. I will go tomorrow morning, there is no need for you to worry. You have seen what I can do for yourself, you know I can defend myself and I will circle around, no one will follow me home.” She said confidently.

“I will go with you.” He blurted out. He did not want her going alone.

Sakura cocked her head to the side. She had hoped he would offer but now that he had...she wondered why. “Why?” She asked him.

“You should not go alone.” He replied without elaboration.

“Are you not part of a powerful clan? Will you being by my side not bring your enemies to my door more than my going alone, visibly unaffiliated with anyone?” She pressed her point. She really did want him to go with her but she felt it was time she expanded her horizon and ventured out from her little hole in the forest, alone. “I will be careful, Hashirama. I forgot what it was like to have someone...care.”

“I do care about you Sakura.” His voice was low, his eyes dark, as he watched her watch him from her seat. 

“I know you can take care of yourself. I do not know where you are from or who your enemies may be but the village to the east is a stopping place for many rival clans. You may run into many a dangerous and opportunistic shinobi there, take heed.” He warned her. He still didn’t want her to go alone but it was clear by the set of her jaw...she would fight him on this.

“I will.” She assured him. “It might be nice to leave the forest for a little while. I haven’t left this place in almost a year.”

Hashirama choked on his food. “A year? You’ve been here for a year?” He had no idea she had been here that long, with so little. As much as her revelation surprised him he was glad she was offering him more information about herself.

“Almost a year.” She nodded, amused at the red in his face. “You and one other are the only ones I have ever seen since my...settlement.”

“Who else knows you are here?” He asked her harshly, more harsh than he had meant to. “I mean…” He amended at her raised brow. “I thought I was your only visitor.”

Sakura took in the creeping red rising up his neck , the stiffness of his limbs and the not so subtle tension in his mouth. Was he...jealous that someone else knew she was here? “A merchant, a lost merchant.” She clarified.

“I helped him find his way back to the main trail in exchange for a few goods, and his silence.” Sakura cocked her head to the side. She could see the strain around his mouth lessen, saw his limbs relax at his side and the hardened look in his eyes soften at her words. Interesting…

“That was kind of you.” Hashirama said absently, seemingly oblivious to her scrutiny.

“It wasn’t kindness. He had things that I needed. It was an exchange. His life, for a bag of salt and a few weapons.” She laughed out loud.

Tobirama listened to the woman’s laughter from the top most branch of a distant tree. He had followed his brother an hour after he had left the compound, allowing him time alone with the woman. He had stopped at her tributary, marveling at her work, running his hands along the trunks of the trees and peering down into the waterway to check on the placement of her pebbles and rocks. Ingenious construction, well thought out and a pleasant surprise.

Yes, Hashirama’s new pet interest was much more than she appeared.

...and it was her appearance that worried him. He couldn’t believe his brother was going to let the woman go into the village alone, looking like...looking the way she did. His brother hadn’t even advised her to wear a henge for kami’s sake, the idiot. 

He would follow her, if his brother would not, he would see her to the village and see her home safely...for his brother, he told himself. 

Did the woman even have a clue as to how men would look at her, the way his brother was trying very hard not to look at her...with that long pink hair that framed her face and fell over her shoulders, her small frame that her threadbare clothes hardly covered decently, the way those strange pants of hers accentuated every dip and every curve of her hip and leg...the woman was a walking inducement for assault...not to mention her eyes and flawless skin…

His brother was a fool to let a woman like that out of his sight, much less go to the market alone in a village far from her home, without a visible escort. If not for her chakra signature she might be mistaken for a...well, no one but a civilian would mistake her for a uh...those pants of hers, were far too indecent and that bright orange shirt of hers, he had never seen such a color of clothing before. Where had she gotten it? It clashed horribly with her hair but even that horrible color didn’t take away from her natural beauty.

Yes, Tobirama thought, as he continued to listen to the woman and his brother talk below him, he would follow her...for his brother’s sake.


	7. Chapter 7

Madara tapped his thumb against the side of his pen inattentively splattering ink onto the paper before him.

“You’re making a mess you know.” Izuna leaned forward in his chair and looked at the splattered ink pointedly, then at his older brother who blinked at him, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. “What the hell are you thinking of Madara, where is your head?” Izuna was amused. His brother looked as though he were daydreaming. Madara never daydreamt, Izuna didn’t think Madara even knew how to daydream.

“Hum?” Madara’s eyes focused on his brother, he blinked, surprise crossing over his features. “How long have you been there?” Madara frowned at his brother’s close proximity to his own face and sat back in his chair.

“What is with you lately, you’ve been out of it for the last, well all day actually.” Izuna raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow at his brother in inquiry.

“I have not.” Madara replied stiffly, disgruntled at his brother’s more than accurate observation. He had. 

He couldn’t get the image of the Tennyo from his head. Her image was ingrained behind the hood of his eyes. Whenever he closed them, he could see her, standing there on her rock barely clothed, her hands stretching out to the moon.

He had gone back to the river after killing the bandits but she was no longer there. He had tried to track her but her presence had been lost halfway through the dense undergrowth of the forest. It was as if she had vanished with the mist. He had vainly searched for her until dawn, only breaking away from his hunt as the first weak rays of the new day’s sun broke across the imposing treetops around him.

There had been yet another war meeting that morning, more of the redundant same, there was nothing new to be discussed. War was war, and it was always with the Senju, a never ending nightmare. The elders went over, back tracked and argued over strategy again and again, it had given him a horrible headache. Finally after hours of shouting, foot stomping and accusations, the meeting had adjourned.

Madara had yet to go to bed still, his thoughts occupied with more questions than answers. Uncharacteristically his thoughts that consumed him had little to do with the impending war, but more with the vision he had seen in the moonlight the night before of the Tennyo. She had been so breathtakingly beautiful, her pink silvery moonlight hair alone...

Madara knew he ought to be more focused, however...it didn’t matter. All the meetings were meaningless. Nothing had changed for centuries between the two clans. The eventual outcome would only come when one killed off the other completely, that was the only way to end the war between the Uchiha and the Senju. He never understood why the elders insisted on meeting to go over their strategy for their next battle, it was always the same once they stepped foot onto the battlefield...annihilation of the opposing force by any means necessary.

Blood and fire...and that was how it would always be.

Izuna sighed. “Whatever, you continue to mope or do whatever it was you were doing. I just came to tell you I am heading to Tanzaku Town in an hour to check on our shipment from Benisu Island that is supposed to be coming overland through the Land of Hot water tomorrow. I want to be there early in case it gets there early. You know how shady those merchants in Tanzaku Town are. They have no respect for the clans.” Izuna paused to make sure Madara was listening to him.

“I should be back by tomorrow evening if it arrives on time or in a few days more likely, as it was late the last two times we ordered from Benisu Island.” Izuna shot his brother one last look of genuine concern. “Whatever has your head in the clouds I suggest you squash it brother. We need to focus. We need to end this war between the Senju and the Uchiha for good next time. Were you even listening in the meeting this morning?”

“Hum, yes. I agree.” Madara waved his brother away, Izuna’s words had barely registered in his ears. “Send word when the shipment of herbs comes in. I will have a team meet you halfway.”

Izuna rolled his eyes, Madara hadn’t heard a word he said. “Fine, see you in a few days.”

Madara nodded, turned and looked out his window toward the dense woods that surrounded his compound. I wonder where the Tennyo goes during the day...his mind began to wander again.

Izuna hummed to himself as he walked back to his quarters to pack. Madara had been gone almost all night, leaving shortly after moon rise, running over the treetops into the forest toward the Naka river and hadn’t returned until after dawn. He wasn’t sure what had been distracting his brother all day but he was sure it had something to do with that river or perhaps a memory of the river.

It was his fault he knew that Madara had lost his friend that day, Hashirama Senju. Izuna hadn’t realized how much their friendship had meant to his older brother until Madara’s eyes had bled and he had awakened his sharingan. Their father had been so proud of him that day...but Izuna couldn’t help but wonder if Madara would have chosen his sharingan, or his friend.

It was pointless to think of such things of course. Izuna threw his bag over his shoulder and tied it across his chest. It was in the past, over and done, but sometimes...Izuna could see the regret in his brother’s eyes...not on the battlefield, no never there but...at night, when Madara would look up at the moon, sometimes...Izuna thought he still regretted the loss of his friend that day.

“Ridiculous.” Izuna chastised himself. They weren’t children anymore, there was no room in their lives for regret and yet...didn’t he too regret leading their father there that day to the river? 

“Maybe.” Izuna mumbled and slid back the door to his chambers.

Hashirama bowed low to Sakura, thanking her for the meal.

“Don’t be silly Hashirama, it’s just left over stew and the rolls you brought yourself this morning.” She laughed at his over polite behavior. “I owe you much more for your elaborate hutch and my new platform.”

This was the awkward part of the conversation for them both. It wasn’t hello and it wasn’t quite goodbye yet. Each not knowing what to say, if they should say goodbye or continue conversing.

“It’s getting late.” Hashirama volunteered. “You’ll want to get a good night’s sleep for your travels tomorrow.” He still didn’t want her to go. Perhaps he could set a clone to trail her, just to make sure she arrived safely...no, if she found out she would be furious.

“Yes. I’ll want to be fully alert.” She smiled at his continued concern, it was nice to have someone to worry about her, even if it was also a bit annoying. She had forgotten what it had been like to have friends. Friends, she used to have a lot of friends...didn’t she...weren’t those the voices she heard sometimes in the woods, the laughter...

Hashirama licked his bottom lip. There was something he had wanted to ask her about but he didn’t wish to offend her. Her dizzy spells, the sudden pains she seemed to suffer from. He had witnessed her falter twice now, where she had stumbled or had been distracted enough to close up in front of him...he was concerned. What if one of those distracting spells happened to her while she was alone in the woods traveling to Tanzaku Town, or while she was in Tanzaku Town, surrounded by strangers…strangers who would know she was an outsider, who looked for any signs of weakness.

“Sakura, don’t be upset but I couldn’t help but notice that um, sometimes you get a bit distracted and your focus wavers.” He tried to say it as politely as possible. “Are you sure it is a good idea to go to Tanzaku Town alone?”

“Tanzaku Town?” Sakura thought that name sounded familiar. “Isn’t that, I mean, I think I have heard of that place before...isn’t that kinda far? It will take me almost all day to get there won’t it?” She couldn’t quite recall, but she felt as though she should know the place.

“It is a day's journey for a civilian. It will probably take you no more than the morning to get there running through the trees and then along the fields if you stay on the common path to the town.” He admitted. “That isn’t the point though. I am worried about you going alone because of your...ailments.”

Sakura knew what Hashirama was referring to of course, her visions. “Thank you for your concern Hashirama. I won’t lie, they are a bit...unsettling.” That was an understatement that she was unable to share with him, nor did she want to. She would endure, she was a ninja. “I’ll be fine though.”

Hashirama frowned. She was being stubborn. He had learned more about her today, by conversing with her, than he had from watching her for over a month from afar. He wouldn’t be able to change her mind, he could tell. 

“Fine.” He pouted...like a child, his arms across his chest, his head down and his shoulder’s hunched.

Tobirama wanted to slap his brother, he was pouting like a baby in front of the woman. He knew he didn’t know anymore about women than his brother but Tobirama was sure that pouting like that in front of them wouldn’t endear them to a man...particularly not a woman like Sakura. The idiot.

Sakura laughed out loud catching the attention of both the man in front of her and of the one in the tree above them.

“Are you pouting?” She laughed again, pounding her fist on her knee. “Oh, that’s too funny.” She wiped a tear from her eye, she had needed that. It had been a long time since she had just...relaxed and laughed with a friend.

“No.” Hashirama mumbled.

“Hashirama. Do not worry okay. I’ll be fine.” Sakura rose from her seat and placed her dirty dishes in one of the submerged troughs by the creek. Hashirama followed her lead bringing his own to set on top of hers.

“I’m sorry.” Hashirama said quietly, taking one of her hands in his. “There isn’t a closer place to find what you’re looking for than Tanzaku Town. That is if you won’t reconsider taking my generosity?” He asked hopeful that she might have suddenly changed her mind.

Sakura shook her head making her hair from her half ponytail fall over her shoulders, brushing the back of his hand, where he held hers in front of them, in between them.

“Very well.” Hashirama said, resigned. “Be careful. I will come back here in two days time to see if you’ve returned. If you are not back by then I will wait one more day, then travel to Tanzaku to find you myself...fair?” He asked her, reaching up with his other hand to lift her head by her chin so he could see her eyes. He wanted her to know he was serious.

“Fair.” Sakura smiled, she had made the right decision. Hashirama was a good man. 

Tobirama watched his brother with the woman, he was so close to her, it was making Tobirama a bit uncomfortable to watch them. 

“Sakura I uh…” Hashirama couldn’t look away. 

The sun was setting behind her head making her pink tresses glow a warm pastel pink. The gentle spring breeze lifted her bangs in waves and sent her naturally flowery scent to surround him, clouding his senses, addling his mind. He leaned forward, just a little as he drew her closer by her hand, his other hand still on her chin.

Hashirama bent his head to kiss her but was stopped abruptly by a small hand to his chest.

“What are you doing?” Sakura’s voice was wary but bold as she pushed him away from her...without chakra.

“I was um...nothing, I’m sorry.” Hashirama rubbed the back of his head nervously, he had meant to try to kiss her but he had and she had pushed him away. “I’m so sorry. Sakura, please forgive me.”

Green eyes took in his every movement, tracked the nervous twitching of his fingers, the shallow breaths he drew in with his chest and breathed out through his nose. “It wasn’t nothing. You were going to kiss me.” She said shrewdly.

Hashirama’s face turned red but he nodded. “Yes, uh, sorry.” There was no use denying it, she knew and she didn’t seem pleased...at all.

Sakura looked around her clearing, her eyes falling on the chocolate brown rabbit, the woodwork of the hutch and the woodwork by her creek. “Is that why you did this for me? So that I could warm your bed?” Her voice was hollow, dangerous.

“No!” Hashirama panicked, was that what she thought?. “Not at all!” He had just ruined everything with one stupid impulse.

“Sakura, I’m sorry, I just. You’re so beautiful and I thought, I thought that you understood that I…” Hashirama was trying to explain but he wasn’t even sure what it was that he felt for her other than, he had wanted to kiss her, to hold her and maybe...maybe um…

“You thought that if you gave me a rabbit and built me some fancy wood style conveniences I would lay with you?” She filled in the blanks for him.

Tobirama shook his head against his chest in the tree, his brother was an idiot…

“No, no, please Sakura. I’m sorry. I respect you, I’ve insulted you.” Hashirama said formally. “I apologize.”

He was trying to regain his composure that much was clear to her. She was trying not to lose her temper, that much was clear to him.

“Thank you for your assistance today Hashirama, but I think you should leave.” Sakura bowed her head, her eyes never leaving those of the man before her. A peace offering.

“It was my pleasure Sakura. Thank you again for dinner. I apologize for my lack of manners.” Acceptance, an understanding. Back to square one. Hashirama could kick himself for his foolishness. 

“Safe travels, I will check in on you in two days time as we discussed.” Hashirama bowed again to the woman, from the waist this time and walked into the woods leaving her with a simple backward wave.

Sakura watched him go, her hands at her sides, her eyes narrowed in thought. Hashirama had tried to kiss her...without asking. He had made his interest in her clear...perhaps she had misunderstood his intentions and overreacted. Or, perhaps not. She was alone here and he was the only one who knew she was here...still, they hadn’t known one another very long and she wasn’t that kind of woman. This required more thought...she began to pace.

Tobirama craned his neck to watch his brother make his way under his tree and farther into the forest, heading east toward their compound. Once his brother was out of sight Tobirama turned his head back to the woman who had begun pacing around her clearing back and forth in front of her fire.

He was fascinated. She didn’t stomp or yell, she hadn’t shouted at his brother, she hadn’t tried to hit him...she had simply asked him with her words what he was doing and had pushed him back and away from her. If she had been a spy for the Uchiha, she would have welcomed his brother’s advances, but she hadn’t. She had rejected him.

Tobirama smirked. Women fell before his brother’s feet, it was nice to see a woman, a beautiful woman, openly reject his brother’s affections. This woman, this Sakura didn’t seem to know that Hashirama was the Senju clan head though. Would her behavior have changed if she knew he was the leader of the clan and not just another member that carried their name...Tobirama thought not. She didn’t seem the type to bow to titles...neither was he. Respect was earned, and Sakura had earned just a little of Tobirama’s respect just now without even knowing it.

He loved his brother dearly and could tell that Hashirama was sincerely interested in the woman, that he held a genuine affection for her but...Hashirama was a fool. Tobirama had to agree with Sakura on this. Just because Hashirama had given her a rabbit and had made her a few pieces of furniture out of wood didn’t give him the right to a kiss. The fool.

The white haired Senju continued to watch Sakura as she quit her pacing and moved to the platform by the water to wash her and Hashirama’s dishes from dinner. He nodded in approval. She would be leaving tomorrow. She was doing it now so she wouldn’t have to do it in the morning. She was productive, as evident of her efforts in construction earlier that day. He still marveled at her initiative. Even he would have thought twice before undertaking such a vexing project.

Evening settled around him as he continued to watch over the pink haired enigma. After setting the dishes on the drying rack she returned to her cabin, grabbed a storage scroll, and moved back to the platform stepping down onto the second landing closer to the water that flowed by at a decent speed.

Without warning, because she thought she was alone, she began to remove her clothing one piece at a time, setting it on the shelf along the rail. Tobirama shut his eyes briefly, his face flushing red, he should go…he opened his eyes slowly, meaning to turn and jump to the other tree but she had pulled her hair lose from it’s bindings so that not only were her bangs and the front locks that framed her face loose but all of it, flowing silkily down her bare back. Tobirama froze, his hand on his leg, his back twisted and leaning toward the next tree…

He swallowed, drew his hand up from his leg and pulled himself back into his sitting position on the branch, his eyes fastened to the rare sight before him. Part of him was horrified at his crass behavior, but mostly he didn’t care. There was no one there to judge him. Certainly not his brother. He knew the proper thing to do would be to leave but...if he left now she might notice him. A poor excuse he told himself, but a valid enough excuse to clear his conscience...at least enough to stay and continue to watch Sakura as she stepped down into the cold water completely naked and exposed.

She was shivering, he could see the goosebumps on her skin from the tree, he hoped she wouldn’t stay in the water too long. Infusing a bit of her chakra into her storage scroll she pulled out several small bottles of different colors and a towel. Taking a bit of pink liquid into her palm from the first bottle she began to lather her hair with what he recognized as soap.

He had never seen soap like that before and wondered how she had made it, or where she might have bought it from. After rinsing the suds from her hair she picked up a blue bottle and squeezed a bit of blue liquid into her palm. Such strange soaps, Tobirama mused as he continued to watch her. The blue soap didn’t lather like the pink soap but Sakura didn’t seem to mind, perhaps it wasn’t soap? Tobirama never understood why women used so many different things on their hair. It seemed pointless, but now was not the time to complain, the longer she stayed in the water, the longer he could observe her.

Rising from the water she sat on the side of the wooden deck pulling a small green stick from her scroll and a recognizable bar of soap. Sakura soaped her legs, then ran the stick over her legs with care. Tobirama leaned over in his tree, what was she doing? He never realized women did so much in the bath and wondered if it was just her or if all women did these things.

Sliding back onto the submerged wooden base Hashirama had made her she dropped down to her shoulders in the water shivering, moving her hands over her body, removing all of the remaining soap from her hair and legs. Jumping up out of the water with a splash she grabbed her towel, wrapping it around herself and ticking it in under her arms at the side.

She was freezing, he could still see new goosebumps popping up all over her skin...he could warm her, the thought flashed through his mind as he watched her shiver. She had accused his brother of wanting her to warm his bed, he would gladly warm hers for her...

Tobirama continued to watch her as she packed her things away, her wet skin shining in the moonlight. Night had arrived while she bathed, it was time for him to go…

Sakura padded through the grass back to the door of her cabin. He could see the flint strike as she lit her indoor fire. Satisfied that she was in for the night, he stood on his branch and jumped to the next tree, then the next and away...his cheeks flushed and an unfamiliar ache in his groin. He had the good sense to feel guilty for his actions, but not enough to stop the smile from forming on his lips as he ran through the trees.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I thought Izuna was going to come more into play but this chapter ran longer than I thought, he will appear soon.

She knew he was following her, but that wasn’t the question...the question was...was he following her because he was curious or because Hashirama had told him to follow her?

Sakura had risen before the sun that day, refreshed from her bath the previous night, and ready for her morning long trek to Tanzaku Town. Hashirama had told her to travel East as far as the next rise and fall of the land, so that’s where she would go. She had assumed he hadn’t told her better directions knowing she would be able to sense the human traffic the closer she got to the town.

Only three hours into her trip she had noticed the change in the air around her. Different chakra signatures floated in and out of her peripheral senses. She knew she wasn’t alone on the road and that one faint signature seemed closer than the rest. No, not a signature but a feeling, an energy...intent...that fluid, stern sort of...Tobirama Senju, Hashirama’s younger brother.

She had been angry at first, thinking Hashirama had sent him to tail her, but the man had made no move to speak to her and had only gone to minimal efforts to hide his signature from her. She wondered if she was simply mistaken.

Her senses had been unreliable as of late. The dark intent at the river, the curious energy while she bathed last night, it was reeking havoc on her senses and made her even more nervous than she already was. She felt mildly paranoid. It had been a long time since she had felt so much humanity moving around her. She missed the solitude of her small clearing, the familiarity of her small cabin and the quiet of the forest.

Out here, in the open fields, everything seemed too close, too loud and too threatening. Tobirama’s unwanted presence was...reassuring. She wondered if he would follow her all the way to Tanzaku Town, if he had already planned on going there himself or if he was only going because she was going. 

She had dreamt last night, of a land surrounded by waves, of a blonde boy in an orange jumpsuit with goggles on his head and of a dark haired boy with brooding dark eyes who thought she was annoying. Sakura closed her eyes trying to draw those images back up to the forefront of her mind but couldn’t. The picture was blurred in her mind and it gave her a headache to try.

“Protect the bridge builder.” A male’s voice came from behind her, making her halt and pivot, kunai at the ready...her eyes scanning the empty road.

Who was that, were they...speaking to her? Sakura lowered her kunai, slipping it back into her pouch, turned, and continued on her way...ignoring the curious energy of Tobirama Senju who had also stopped when she had, confirming her suspicions of his presence. He was following her.

Protect the bridge builder...she remembered something, that had been her mission once...a mission with...her team. The blonde and the black haired boy...were her, teammates...she remembered. 

“Sasuke, Naruto and...and…” Damn it, her head was throbbing. She couldn’t focus. She needed to sit down.

Sakura stopped by the side of the road under a tree and sat down. She felt dizzy and it was making her sick. She could feel it, the memory behind her eyes lurking in the shadow of her mind. A blonde boy whose smile was brighter than the sun and a dark haired boy whose eyes were as dark as a moonless night. Opposites and friends and...why couldn’t she remember.

Tobirama stopped on the edge of the clearing and watched the woman. What was wrong with her, she looked ill. She had stopped a moment ago, drawing a weapon from her pouch as though to defend herself, but there hadn’t been anyone there. He watched as she pulled her canteen from her waist and drank deeply. He waited.

The roads had been empty since they had started their journey that morning, but that would change soon, the closer they got to Tanzaku. Soon, very soon there would be much more foot traffic. How would she fair with more people on the road... It would make it easier for him to follow her with more people but he suspected she already knew he was there.

It hurt her to think. It hurt to be alone with all of these memories crowding the confines of her mind. She felt like she was going mad and she realized why she had reached out to Hashirama, why she had accepted him so readily into her life. She was lonely. Sakura lifted her head and took a deep breath. 

She wasn’t alone anymore though, was she. A small smile touched her lips but didn’t bend the corners of her mouth. She let it swim underneath the surface, like Tobirama stayed just beyond her vision. He was there with her, uninvited but there and she was...grateful for his presence, for his intrusion. 

Sakura rose to her feet and laughed. She was pathetic but it was okay. Suddenly the shadows of her past didn’t bother her as much as she felt them rise up around her. She could almost see them beside her, one on each side, her boys. 

“Sasuke, Naruto...I remember and...Kakashi Sensei.” What good was a memory, one memory among countless others...at least...they could walk beside her now, at least...if Tobirama wished to remain in her shadow her boys would be with her. She found if she stopped trying, if she stopped fighting it, the memory became clearer, easier. So be it.

She pulled a kunai from her pouch and carved her message into the trunk of the tree. He could take it as he liked. She knew he was watching her. She knew he would read it. Sakura smirked. Men were so predictable, did they know that? She remembered something solid this time. She had back...a little piece of who she had been and how she had become who she was now. Her confidence had returned.

Taking one more deep breath for good measure...she resumed her journey. She wanted to get to Tanzaku before noon to get a room at a decent inn. She didn’t have time to waste sitting by the edge of the road thinking about what was. What mattered, was now.

Tobirama watched the woman carve something into the tree then walk back toward the road and onward. Following her at his steady pace he stopped when he reached the tree she had been resting under and read the words she had carved there…

”You little shit.” Tobirama’s head jerked back to look at the woman who was standing in the middle of the road with her hands on her hips staring him down.

“Well?” Sakura shouted at him, her hands cupped around her mouth.

Tobirama looked back at the message on the tree, ‘I know you’re following me I’m not an idiot, are you?’...yeah, he was an idiot, just like his brother Hashirama...of course she knew he was following her…

“How long?” Tobirama walked up to stand beside the woman who had waited for him, had watched him walking toward her with a smug smirk on her face.

“Since the beginning of course.” She cocked her head at him. “Senju Tobirama, younger brother of Hashirama I assume?”

Tobirama narrowed his eyes at her and nodded. Sakura smiled.

“My signature is undetectable. How did you know I was following you?” He demanded. She had guessed his identity, there was no need to introduce himself.

“I didn’t know you by your signature but your intent.” Sakura looked him over...curious, his presence was almost like...she shook her head and let her eyes roam over his stiff form, his tight mouth and suspicious red eyes. No, she had been mistaken, it couldn’t have been him last night, she had been imagining it after all.

“You can sense intent.” It wasn’t a question. Did she know?

“I can.” She wasn’t bragging.

“Interesting.” He replied stepping in rhythm with her steps as they continued down the road, together.

“Is it.” Not a question. She smirked.

She was teasing him he realized. “Yes,” He smirked.

Tobirama wasn’t sure if it had been his brother’s influence on the woman but she seemed more at ease than he would have thought she would be around a stranger that had been following her on the road. While he knew of her, she knew nothing of him and he doubted very much that his brother had talked of him with her to such an extent as to make her lower her guard around him.

“Why are you following me Tobirama?” Sakura asked him after they had been walking for nearly an hour in companionable silence.

...okay, maybe she wasn’t completely at ease around him, his mistake.

“You would not accept my brother’s offer to accompany you.” He told her flatly, his hands behind his back as he walked next to her.

“So he sent you instead?” She scoffed.

“No.” He said evenly, his ears tinting pink at the tips.

Sakura watched the man beside her out of the corners of her eyes. “You were spying on us.” She understood now.

“I was watching my brother’s back. You are an unknown.” He said without intended offense.

Sakura hummed her understanding in the back of her throat and pursed her lips. “You followed him from the second day, from the time he gave me my rabbit.” She recalled.

“That he stole from our compound, yes.” There was no use denying it, she knew the truth, she had pieced it together on her own.

“Is it stealing if he owns it?” She countered.

“How do you know he owned it?” Tobirama shot back at her.

“He is the clan head is he not?” Sakura turned her head to look at the Senju.

“You knew, how?” Tobirama was surprised, he hadn’t thought she knew so much about his brother...and she had still rejected his affections...interesting, he had been correct in his deductions then.

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.” Sakura rolled her eyes and smiled. She was enjoying this banter. It reminded her of someone else, but she couldn’t recall who.

“Hmph.” Tobirama resisted the urge to roll his own eyes.

“So, why are you really following me Tobirama Sama?” Sakura asked him again.

“I told you, you wouldn’t accept my brother’s offer to accompany you.” He said. Honorifics won’t get you answers, he wondered why she had called him sama...

“I heard you, I’m not deaf.” She was hitting her stride now, the amusement clear in her sparkling eyes. “That is not an adequate answer.”

“If you are displeased with my answer, stop asking. Just because you don’t like the answer doesn’t mean it is inadequate.” He huffed. Why was she talking to him like this. She hadn’t talked to his brother with such sass. Did it mean she...liked him more than Hashirama?

“Yes it does, in this case particularly, because you haven’t really answered me, you are simply avoiding and diverting...and you know it. You’re just put out that I won’t back down...aren’t you…” She wasn’t going to let this go.

“I, like my brother, did not want you to travel alone.” Tobirama gave her the honest answer she had wanted from the beginning...reluctantly.

“Thank you.” She said sincerely, then added much to his annoyance. “That wasn’t so hard was it huh?”

“It was.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared straight ahead as they continued to walk.

Sakura laughed out loud, and the small light tinkling of bells filled his ears, making him glad he had followed her, even if she hadn’t wanted him there in the beginning. He felt that maybe, she was glad he was there now.

Hashirama looked around the vacant clearing of Sakura’s home and wondered where he should start first, what did she need the most? A desk, a chair or perhaps some wood planks for her dirt floor that led up to her platformed living space?

Tobirama hadn’t been in his room when he had woken up that morning, a note on his door explained that he had gone to check on something in the next village, but he had failed to leave the name of the village. At first Hashirama had worried that he had gone to Tanzaku Town, but that was ridiculous. Tobirama hated Tanzaku.

A rustle at the bottom of his feet pulled him from his grandiose plans for Sakura’s little cabin. The rabbits he had brought her were restless. He would start there. With a smile on his face, Hashirama moved the caged rabbits to the hutch and one after the other, dropped them through the door to join the two preexisting inhabitants. Sakura hadn’t asked for more rabbits but he was sure she would love the addition of three more females to her hutch.

Next, Hashirama moved to where he assumed she would want her garden to be, the side of her cabin that would provide her plants with the most sunlight. He frowned, there wasn’t going to be nearly enough room for what he had planned for her. Looking left, then right...he took in the base layout of her small clearing and decided on his own that she needed a much larger clearing to accommodate his present for her.

One by one he moved the trees from their original places and lined them up around the newly determined borders of ‘her’ clearing, settling them back into the earth with little effort on his part as though they had grown there naturally., despite their unnatural placement. This would allow much more sunlight into her garden allowing it to thrive.

Realizing that any additions to her cabin would have to be made before he placed her garden, he began to walk around the perimeter, his head moving up and down taking in the small cabin from each corner. It needed to be bigger, he decided, with a real raised bed, flooring for the winter and an indoor bath. 

Hashirama hadn’t liked the idea of Sakura bathing out in the open where anyone who happened by could watch her bathe. He didn’t want anyone looking at her, but him. He had felt terrible about his attempted kiss. He knew he shouldn’t have done that, only he hadn’t been thinking clearly. He had been watching her for a month before they had spoken. 

So many times he had wondered...how soft her lips would be, how her mouth would taste, how she would smell in his arms as he...Hashirama shook his head. Those were exactly the kinds of thoughts that had led him to ruining all of his hard work, all of his planning and patience. He had to be more careful with her. He had to gain her trust back.

He knew these things wouldn’t make her forgive him. He knew all his efforts were in vain and more than likely they would just piss her off more than she already was, but he had to do something and this is all that he knew to do for her. To give her things she didn’t have, to provide her with things she would never ask him for, to give her...he only hoped he would have enough time to explain this to her before she punched him through a tree.

Hashirama smiled. Yes a tree, what a wonderful woman. He grinned, remembering how she had punched her fist through the trunk of a tree, when she had been aiming for his head. It would have killed him if he hadn’t moved in time. She was perfect, she was strong and beautiful and...he needed to focus. He wanted everything to be ready when she returned.

Visualizing the basic structure in his head that he would create around her current cabin, he made the hand signs and pressed his palms to the ground. Wood planks, rails and beams shot up from the ground and exploded across the now larger clearing. Two extra rooms popped into existence, a small kitchen that led outside erupted from the ground and connected itself to the main walls of her previous cabin, a door appeared, then another and another as an engawa was molding itself around the front and back of her home. 

Hashirama paused, took a deep breath, then pushed twice as much of his chakra into the ground throwing the clearing into further chaos. A wider longer roof formed over the home, no longer small enough to call a cabin, overhanging the engawa, as rails shot horizontally down the length of the porch, steps popping up and connecting to serve as a walkway on each side of the house.

In the back of the house, from the last raised step of the engawa, Hashirama laid plank after raised plank on the ground, forming a walkway through the dirt where her garden would be, two benches rose from the earth and were immediately surrounded by wooden planks enclosing them up to a foot high, complete with a small outdoor table. 

Satisfied, the great clan leader stepped back to admire his handiwork, and envisioned the pinkette sitting at the table in the garden he would make her, eating breakfast or reading a book.

Hashirama rubbed the back of his head...she was going to kill him. He had gone...a little too far perhaps, he thought but...she deserved this, she deserved to be surrounded in beauty because...because she herself was beautiful. He only hoped she would understand. 

Understand or not though...this is how he wanted it to be. If he made her home beautiful, if he gave her everything she needed...maybe she would stay, maybe it would keep her here, close to him...longer.

She hadn't told him of any plans to leave her little cabin in the forest, but he hadn’t asked her either. She had been there for almost a year, living in what he considered, squalor. He had been horrified when he had seen inside her cabin. She had nothing and she deserved everything in his opinion...and he was going to give it to her.

Sliding the front door to her home open, he entered, to survey his handiwork. She would need closets, shelves, dividers and book cases. He would make her a large bathtub, large enough for two adults in one of the rooms, a grate and stone firepit to heat the bath would have to be done tomorrow, today he would finish all of his wood work.

“So how long have you been watching me?” Sakura asked Tobirama quietly as they walked down the road, two merchants and their wagons in front of them and several smaller groups of travelers behind them.

“Not long.” Tobirama said carefully.

“Two days then?” She smirked at him.

“If you already know, why do you ask?” He was annoyed. She had been doing this to him since they had started walking together.

“To watch your ears turn pink of course.” Sakura giggled as his ears turned pink.

Gradually they had warmed up to one another, making small gestures of peace via conversation as they walked. With more and more traveler’s joining them on the road, Sakura had moved closer and closer to Tobirama. He wasn’t sure if the woman realized what she was doing, but it was evident that she trusted him, at least on a subconscious level and he would like to think that it wasn’t all due to his brother’s outgoing and playful attitude.

He hoped that it was because she was truly becoming relaxed around him...not many people were and it was rather off putting socially. He liked speaking with Sakura. She was witty and intelligent like him but also playful and...fun, like his brother.

“I liked you better when you refused to talk to me.” He said only half jokingly.

“I liked you better when you were walking a mile back.” She said half jokingly.

Yes...just like that...Tobirama hid his smile from her in the fur of his collar.

Silence fell between them. A half hour passed by them in relative quiet. Sakura walked silently beside him, her eyes darting up to his face every now and then. He had noticed only a few shinobi on the road, none of them hostile, none that he knew by name or clan. Almost all of them though, cast curious glances at Sakura, glances that she seemed completely oblivious to.

“When we get to Tanzaku I want you to find an inn. I will get us lunch and meet you at the inn.” Tobirama said as they approached the tall red pillars that identified the gates of Tanzaku in the distance.

“You’re not staying in my room with me.” She glared at him.

“That is not what I meant. I want to make sure you get a room. Tanzaku is a very busy town, rooms will be hard to come by without reservations.” He clarified.

“Ah.” Sakura wondered how much a room would cost. She had money, but she didn’t want to spend it all on her room, that would defeat the purpose of her visit to Tanzaku. 

“Here.” Tobirama shoved a purse into her hands as though he had read her thoughts.

“I’m not taking that. You only came here to follow me. I’m not taking your money.” What was with these people.

“Tanzaku is expensive.” He said pointedly. “I don’t know how much money you have on you, so this gesture can hardly be insulting. Consider it an apology, for following you.”

Sakura didn’t reply, the purse sat in her hand...was she mad, was she happy...Tobirama couldn’t tell and she wasn’t speaking. This is why he found women so frustrating, they never told you what they thought…

“Fine.” She said. 

“Fine?” What did that mean? He still didn’t know if he had offended her or pleased her.

“Yes.” Sakura tucked the purse into her pouch and walked ahead of him through the gates of Tanzaku Town.


	9. Chapter 9

Izuna sat in the corner of the tavern sipping his tea while he waited for his meal. He had been lucky to get a room when he arrived last night. Tanzaku Town was busier than usual this time of the year due to the festival that lasted for three days. 

The tavern owner also owned the inn upstairs and was a friend to the clan Uchiha, one of the few proprietors in Tanzaku Town, that still honored the Uchiha trade routes over five decades old. Izuna had forgotten about the festival. He hoped it wouldn’t affect his shipment from Benisu Island.  
.  
Today was the first day of the festival and the loudest. Most shinobi avoided Tanzaku Town in general, having no need for their services due to the castle on the hill, and its population consisting mostly of civilians. It was a resort town for honeymooners, merchants and civilian vacationers. A ‘fun’ town, with little need for shinobi.

Any shinobi in Tanzaku were there for pleasure usually, not business, and while civilians were wary of shinobi as a rule, the residents of Tanzaku welcomed shinobi coin without prejudice. 

Jinso, a retired shinobi and the proprietor of the inn and tavern Izuna was in now, was left over from the days of his father, before Tanzaku had established regulated gambling, licensed taverns, bars and brothels...and all around, innocent merriment.

There was still the occasional cutthroat, thief and swindler but the guards of Tanzaku castle kept most of the crime in the town at bay. 

Personally, Izuna hated Tanzaku. It was too loud in general, there were too many people to keep track of too many signatures, thus he spent most of his time in Tanzaku trying to ignore the constant hum of different chakra signatures that swarmed around him. 

He assumed that was just one more reason most shinobi avoided the town, it was too easy to sneak up on someone before they could recognize your signature.

Two men sat down at the table next to Izuna’s. Merchants by the look of their clothes, wealthy ones. The elder of the two let his eyes pass over Izuna quickly, falling respectfully to the ground, once he recognized Izuna for what he was, an Uchiha...and a shinobi. The younger man was not as respectful as his elder, and looked Izuna boldly in the eyes. Izuna’s eyes bled red, his tomes spinning in his eyes at the young man’s audacity to look at him as his equal. 

A warning only. 

A swift gnarled hand from Izuna’s peripheral had the young man rubbing the side of his head, where his elder had smacked him for his disrespect.

“I have half a mind to let the young Lord put you in your place Hamnga.” The elder spoke to the younger man harshly. “Show some respect lad, and ask the young Uchiha for his pardon.”

“Uchiha?” Hamnga’s head snapped back to look at Izuna, whose eyes were still Uchiha red, watching him calmly.

“Forgive me Uchiha Sama. I did not know, but I should have.” Hamnga bowed his head low, nearly touching the table in front of him.

Red eyes faded back to coal. Izuna inclined his head to the foolish young man. “You are fortunate to have such a wise mentor.” Izuna inclined his head respectfully to the elder man. “How fortunate for you both, that your student listens to your wisdom.” Izuna smiled.

Amused eyes watched the young man shiver with barely suppressed fear, while the elder of the two bowed low to Izuna. “A wise man does not pull the tail of a calm Uchiha, nor a sleeping dragon.”

Izuna smirked. “Indeed.”

Due to his clan’s well known fire nature the Uchiha were often called ‘Dragons’, out of both fear and respect. Madara thought the notion rather ridiculous, but Izuna was fond of the saying. In his mind dragons were strong, powerfully and fierce. He had told Madara many times there were worse things to be called than an insanely majestic and strong mythical creature.

Izuna’s food arrived shortly after, the table on his opposite side rose and left, the server wiping down the table after setting Izuna’s food before him. He hadn’t noticed the woman enter the tavern but looked up when the young man at the table next to him whistled slowly.

“Wow, haven’t seen her here before.” The younger man who was sitting with the elder said quietly, his eyes following a pink head across the tavern public room.

Izuna looked up to see what the man was making such a fuss over and nearly dropped his chopsticks. She was beautiful...and alone. The hum of the busy tavern stilled as most of the occupants were male and watching the woman who didn’t seem to either notice the effect she had on the room or care.

Jinso stood behind the bar watching the woman’s approach. 

“Good afternoon, are you the man to speak to about a room for the night, I need two please?” Sakura inclined her head to Jinso politely instead of bowing with her hands in front of her like most women of the time tended to do.

Jinso queried a bushy eyebrow at her unusual greeting. “Two rooms, for one?” He asked her. He only had one left.

“Yes.” Sakura had felt the change in the room when she had entered, she knew there were many eyes on her but looked only at Jinso, she didn’t want any trouble. 

“I have a traveling companion, but we require separate rooms.” She answered his question before he could ask her why she needed two rooms.

“I have one room, but it is reserved.” Jinso said slowly. “I’m sorry but this is the first day of the festival and…” Jinso lifted his head, he felt Izuna’s chakra flare momentarily and sighed, the message was clear. 

“One room, for you. Take it or leave it.” He said gruffly.

“I’ll take it, with thanks.” Sakura said, pleased that she had gotten herself a room for the night, sparing the barest of regrets for Tobirama.

“Don’t thank me, thank him.” Jinso nodded to Izuna’s corner of the tavern, turned to grab a key from under the counter, and dropped it into her hand.

“Payment?” Sakura asked.

“It’s on him.” Jinso managed a smile as he nodded toward Izuna again, then turned to help his other customers, considering his business with the woman closed.

“Is it…” Sakura turned to look back across the room at the man sitting in the corner. 

His face was half shadowed, distorting his features. Sakura stood there for a moment thinking over her options. Tobirama would be at the inn soon with their lunch. It would probably be best to question this man before he arrived. Strange men didn’t help strange women for no reason. She wanted to know what price she would be paying for this stranger’s generosity...before her companion deemed to show himself. Tobirama didn’t seem like the easy going type and sometimes interrogation required a bit of...finesse.

Sakura walked over to the corner where the man sat, his face slowly coming into focus as the shadows receded with her approach. When he lifted his chin to greet her, the shadow on his face moved to reveal his features, and vertigo struck her. Sakura threw her arm out to brace herself on the edge of a nearby table, she stumbled and almost fell.

Sakura hadn’t seen him move... he held her up by both of her forearms, slowly releasing her as she once again found her equilibrium.

Sakura looked up to meet red sharingan eyes, black tomes spinning lazily as the man looked down at her with what appeared to be genuine concern. He was...Sasuke, no he wasn’t but he looked just like...

“Sa Sasuke…” She stammered before her lids became heavy and her eyes rolled back into her head. “Damn.” Her breath left her and she crumpled to the ground.

“What did you do to her?” The same annoying young man form before demanded of Izuna, his fists clenched at his sides.

“Nothing. She seems to have passed out.” Izuna ignored the rest of the talk around the tavern’s public room, looked up to see Jinso watching him and nodded. “Jinso, call you wife please?”

Jinso rolled his eyes, he should have known the woman was going to be trouble. Women who looked like that, always were but...to be fair, he had never seen any woman who looked like...that woman. “Never should have given her that room.” Jinso muttered under his breath as he went to get his wife to tend the woman at the young heir’s request.

Tobirama moved at a steady pace around Tanzaku. He had never liked this town, but he was familiar with the layout, and found his way toward the many food stands lined up along the streets with ease. He had no idea what kinds of foods the woman liked to eat so he purchased a simple bento of vegetable tempura and rice for her, fresh grilled fish and rice balls for himself, and two flasks of hot green tea.

He and Sakura had split up after they had passed through the gates of the village. She went to find them some rooms and he went to find them their lunch. He had been expecting more resistance to his offered purse but she had complied with...almost passive grace. Loathe as he was to let her out of his sight in such a place, he understood she wanted her freedom. She was after all a kunoichi, not a civilian.

That of course didn’t mean he hadn’t continued to track her movements as she roamed from inn to inn, tavern to tavern looking for rooms for them. Her signature had stopped once again as he stepped up to the fish stand to purchase his lunch and remained still for quite some time. He surmised she had found them rooms then, good, he had been worried she wouldn’t be able to find one. 

Another reason he had let her go alone. A pretty woman would be able to find them lodging much easier than his gruff face and stoic attitude would.

“Have a great time at the festival!” The fish vendor grinned widely...obnoxiously... at Tobirama as he handed him his bento over the wooden counter and took his money from him.

“Hmph.” Tobirama replied, making the vendor’s smile falter...yes, it was good that Sakura had gone alone to secure rooms for them.

Izuna carried Sakura up to her room, followed by Kinsha, Jinso’s wife.

“Set her on the bed Uchiha Sama, do not worry I will take care of your young woman while you meet with the merchants from Benisu. Shall I tell her where you are when she wakes?” Kinsha asked Izuna as she pulled Sakura’s shoes from her feet and pulled her traveling bag from her shoulders.

Izuna’s face flushed with embarrassment. “She is not my young woman Kinsha. I only asked Jinso to give her your last room. She seemed a bit distressed, no doubt worn out from her travels.” Izuna took in the shabbiness of her clothes and shoes.

“Forgive me for assuming Uchiha Sama. My husband said the young woman had seemed surprised to see you. I had assumed she was a ‘friend’ of yours or your clan’s. My mistake.” Kinsha set Sakura’s shoes on the floor by the bed and draped her dusty travel bag over the hook along the wall. “I will get some hot water for her face and hands. It looks as though she has traveled a long way to get here.”

Kinsha walked across the room and opened the door, she turned slightly looking back over her shoulder at the young lord and the strange woman on the bed and smiled, to be young again...she smiled to herself, her crinkled eyes creasing at the corners from decades of smiling. The young Uchiha might not have known the young woman before helping her, but he would in time, Kinsha was sure of it.

Kinsha closed the door behind her and walked down the stairs to the public room, to get a bowl of warm water, and a soft cloth. Whoever the woman was, she would want a bit of a wash before the young lord returned to check on her. She was not a shinobi herself, but her husband had told her stories of the Uchiha and of the other prominent clans of their times, this woman was a shinobi she was sure of it...just as she was sure that the sun rose in the east and set in the west.

...and if she knew, so did Izuna Sama. 

Izuna knew he had to go. The merchants from Benisu were scheduled to arrive at the great market in the early afternoon. He wanted to catch them before they were lost to the drunken crowds of the festival. He looked down at the woman on the bed. Should he leave her a note...and say what he thought wildly...sorry to have frightened you, you passed out and I carried you to your room….you don’t know me but I just felt like paying for your room so...Izuna shook his head and left the room.

This was a mistake, what had he been thinking...he didn’t know what he had been thinking. He always did things like this, foolish things for a pretty face. His brother had told him many times what a fool he was. 

Just last year he had gotten in trouble with the Fire Lord’s eldest daughter...to be fair...she seemed to know more about what she was doing than he did though. It had caused quite the scandal when one of the Fire Lord’s maids had discovered them in bed together. He would need to be careful this time. Madara couldn’t find out about this woman, even if his intentions...were mostly innocent.

Downstairs, Jinso was wiping glasses as Izuna came up to the bar. “I will be back to check on the woman, send lunch up to her, something simple on my tab. Thank Kinsha for me Jinso. I won’t be long.” Izuna made to step away from the bar, but Jinso stopped him with a word.

“She asked for two rooms. She isn’t traveling alone.” Jinso gave the younger man a knowing look. “Two rooms Izuna Sama.”

“Her companion is a man then. I understand Jinso, but two rooms Jinso, not one.” Izuna countered...why...he had no idea. It didn’t matter...not really.

“I only had one available and at your request.” Jinso pointed out.

“Ah.” Izuna understood, her companion might be joining her in her room after all. “I will stop by the bar on my way back around, for an update. The room and food is of course still on my tab.” Izuna nodded to the man and left the tavern to meet with the merchants from Benisu Island.

“Of course it is, Uchiha Sama.” Jinso shook his head...oh to be young and foolish again...he smiled at his wife who came around the back counter with a bowl of steaming water and a soft cloth draped over her arm.

“Lord Madara will not be pleased that his younger brother is spending his coin so freely, on women.” Jinso commented to his wife who pulled a bottle of calming liquor from their bottom shelf.

“Then don’t tell him.” Kinsha countered, tucking the small bottle into her apron and moving back toward the stairs to care for the young woman.

“If he finds out though…” Jinso began.

“How will he, he never comes to Tanzaku, Izuna is the only Uchiha we have ever seen in Tanzaku, the only Uchiha Lord Bensa will tolerate. If the younger Uchiha wants to help out some poor woman in need, I say let him. The Uchiha can afford it.” His wife turned on her heel and walked up the stairs beside the bar leaving her husband to grumble by himself.

“If she were ugly I bet we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.” He muttered.

“I heard that!” His wife’s voice floated back down the stairs to him and the two closest patrons sitting at the bar who laughed at Jinso’s reddening face.

Sakura tossed and turned in the bed, her head ached, her heart burned...she couldn’t seem to open her eyes...Sasuke, no that hadn’t been Sasuke but...she fell back asleep before her mind could finish her thought...

_“I’m sorry Sakura, for everything.” Sasuke stood before her, his back up against the wall of her closed office door._

_“You mean for trying to kill me twice, for leaving the village in the first place after I begged you to stay or for trying to kill Naruto...not to mention all the other crimes against humanity you have committed in your insane quest for revenge...that was based on a lie?” Sakura leaned forward, her hands planted on her desk bracing her weight as she glared at her former childhood crush, teammate and missing nin friend._

_“Hn.” Sasuke smirked at her, his eyes steady and unwavering, waiting for her to either accept his apology or not._

_“I love you Sasuke, but I’m not in love with you anymore.” Sakura sat down in her office chair, leaned back against the cushy seat that she rarely had time to enjoy before being called out and away for another medical emergency, and stared at her...friend._

_“I heard.” Sasuke cocked his head to the side, a small twitch of amusement on his lips. “What’s it like dating an old man Sakura? Couldn’t wait for my trial to be over before jumping into bed with Kakashi huh?” He continued to smirk. He knew, he had heard from several different people since his return to Konoha, all of which seemed more than pleased to tell him...Sakura had moved on, to someone better._

_“Is he payback, for how I made you wait for me for years, did you fuck him to get back at me?” He sneered, his handsome face, no longer handsome, no longer the passive cool he had when he had first knocked on her office door. His calm was slipping, his anger rising. “Do you pretend it’s me fucking you when you sleep with him?”_

_“Get out Sasuke.” Sakura said quietly. “I was such a fool when I was younger. I never saw you for what you really were.” Her voice was sad, she truly regretted her own stupidity._

_“I love Kakashi. Not everything is about you Sasuke. Welcome home. Now get out of my office...I think it’s best if we don't talk for a while.” Sakura watched Sasuke open and close the door to her office without a word._

_“That was...unpleasant.” Kakashi poofed into existence, relaxing on Sakura’s couch against the far corner of her office, icha icha in one hand, a bag of take out in the other as he peered at her over the rim of his book, eyes crinkling in amusement. “You okay?”_

_“I am now.” Sakura sat down beside Kakashi on her couch and laid her head against his chest. “Old man.”_

Kinsha laid the young woman’s hand back on the bed after wiping the dust and grime from her fingers. The young woman had mumbled a few words, turned over once and barely opened her eyes a few times while she had cleaned her hands and face. Poor thing, Kinsha pet the hair back from the woman’s brow, then rose to her feet to leave.

“What has happened?” Tobirama demanded of the woman, making her gasp and drop her bowl in her surprise at his sudden appearance.

Kinsha whirled around to face the white haired man who had appeared out of nowhere in the room, her mouth opening and closing in her shock, it had been some years since her Jinso had leapt in through a window and surprised her like that. 

“Shinobi san, you startled me.” Kinsha bowed low to the new comer.

“I apologize, what has happened to Sakura, why is she in bed and who are you if I might ask?” Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest and looked down his nose at the civilian woman. He hadn’t sensed her meager presence, had felt Sakura’s chakra signature in the room, and had entered without knocking...through the window.

“Sakura, what a beautiful name.” Kinsha smiled at the sleeping woman in the bed. “She fainted in the tap room below after procuring a room from my husband for the evening. My name is Kinsha Moginha, my husband Jinso and I own the inn and tavern.” Kinsha bowed again.

“I took the liberty of washing your companion’s face and hands...I will send food up in a moment.” Kinsha licked her lips nervously. This man was...a Senju, wasn’t he?

“I am Tobirama Senju, thank you for your hospitality but I have brought our lunch here.” he lifted the take out bags in his hands and set them on the small table. “You may go.”

Kinsha bowed low again, her shoulders trembling in fear, Izuna Sama must not be told. The damage to their inn alone...she didn’t even wish to think of what would happen if the Uchiha knew he was paying for the Senju’s room and that the young woman’s companion was the younger brother to Hashirama Senju.


	10. Chapter 10

Tobirama watched the woman leave the room. The door closed behind her before he moved swiftly to the bed. With a firm hand to Sakura’s forehead he checked her temperature. Her forehead was cool to the touch. With his other hand he checked her pulse. It was a little fast but not threateningly so. Tobirama moved his hand to the woman’s cheek. Her breathing was soft, calm and steady, she seemed fine...only sleeping.

He was relieved.

He wondered what had happened to make Sakura lose consciousness in such a public place. She was a shinobi, surely she could have maintained enough focus to get to her room before collapsing...He thought it must have been something similar to what had happened to her on the road to Tanzaku. Did she think she was being attacked... or perhaps she was simply overwhelmed...by her own account she hadn’t been out of the secluded forest in over a year.

He still couldn’t believe she had been living in the forest alone, undetected, for a whole year. Her caution must have been nothing short of obsessive.

Tobirama looked down at the woman’s face. She looked so vulnerable with her eyes closed, relaxed and oblivious to his hands on her skin. Tobirama remembered how she had looked last night, wet from her bath, her skin rippling with goose bumps from the cold water...his thumb caressed her cheek and his head tilted to the side as he took in the small curve of her lips, the pink lashes of her eyes... She said she could sense intent. Why didn’t she recognize him from the previous night…

Honestly, he had thought he was the only one who could sense such things in others, but it was the only explanation for her awareness of him on the road today when he had followed her from her cabin. She wasn’t lying. So then...why didn’t she...ah. He understood. His intent had changed. Emotion wasn’t constant, it wasn’t like a chakra signature that could only change by using a distortion or a regulator it was constantly fluctuating.

Tobirama looked down at his thumb as it continued to pass over the gentle rise of her cheekbone, continued to feel the softness of her face while she slept, oblivious to his...he immediately withdrew his hands from her. He...wasn’t that kind of a man. Watching her bathe was...a mistake. Tobirama’s face flushed with guilt. He shouldn’t have been touching her like that, without her permission.

He was disappointed with himself. He hardly knew her even if he didn’t sense any ill intent from her...he shouldn’t be so relaxed around her. Tobirama looked around the room. He would eat his lunch and speak to her when she woke. He didn’t want to be in Tanzaku any longer than was necessary. It was important for her to get the things she needed and for them to be on their way back to the forest by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.

“Uchiha Sama.” The merchant bowed low to Izuna as he stopped in front of him. “I see you’ve had word of our arrival, no doubt Jinso told you we would be arriving for the first day of the festival.” Twitchy eyes met dark observant coal.

“Yes.” Izuna found that it was always wise to say as little as possible to the merchants from Benisu Island. Herbs were not their only trade commodity. The Benisu Island merchants were also well known for their information brokering gained from their extensive trade routes up and down the coast of Lightning, Fire and Tea.

“I take it there weren’t any complications fulfilling our order this time?” Izuna asked politely, yet firmly. There had been two items missing from their last order, two very rare and expensive items that had been paid for and not provided to the Uchiha.

“Of course Uchiha Sama, however, I regret to inform you that the items you requested from your previous order are still unavailable. Our herbalist is still ill and is unable to provide us with his expertise.” The Benisu merchant bowed lower than usual. He knew he was on narrow ground with the young Uchiha. Izuna had been openly annoyed with him last time he had failed to provide him with a guaranteed service.

“Then the cost will be removed from this order’s tally I assume?” It was not a question and the merchant saw it for the demand that it was.

“Of course Izuna Sama, of course and I humbly apologize for the inconvenience. Such a shame the Uchiha have no healers or herbalists of their own, so unfortunate.” The merchant smirked internally. He had never liked the Uchiha. If they didn’t pay nearly twice as much as his regular customers, he wouldn’t choose to deal with them at all.

Izuna narrowed his eyes at the merchant’s borderline insult. “There are other merchants.” He said lowly.

“...but not a more skilled herbalist for several countries.” The merchant boldly retorted.

“Careful merchant. You walk a fine line.” Izuna’s eyes spun red as he glared at the bold man.

“I meant no offense young lord, none at all.” The man offered an oily smile. Lord Madara would never step foot in Tanzaku, he knew it, everyone knew it, he feared the sharingan...just enough to bend to the young man’s will. “We value your business Uchiha Sama.”

“See that you continue to do so.” Izuna took the storage scroll from the man that contained his order, placed several large gold coins in the man’s hand and turned on his heel without a backward glance before he lost his temper.

He hated dealing with the merchants. Thieves and crooks that hid behind polite words and slick smiles. He wondered how a certain pink haired woman was fairing at the moment...perhaps...he would stop by the tavern to see if she had woken up yet, or if her traveling companion had joined her. He was interested to see what sort of company the woman kept and wondered what clan she was from. From her chakra signature she had more chakra than a civilian would ever have need for...her pink hair notwithstanding, clearly she was a kunoichi but held no identifiable features.

Pink hair and pale smooth skin. Green eyes, a wide forehead, slim in stature and on the shorter side she was a complete mystery to him.

Sakura felt that uncomfortable wetness on her face, that only came from weeping in your sleep, when she felt the weight of her surroundings materialize before her half opened eyes. A dream...she had been dreaming of Sasuke and of…”Kakashi…” 

How could she have forgotten Kakashi, her Kakashi...she...didn’t belong here she realized. She belonged with, with...where did she belong?

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Sakura jumped in the bed, her body jerking to awareness as someone knocked on the door of her room. How did I get into my room, I was...chakra...whoever was at her door was a shinobi. She tried to focus on the now.

“Who is it?” She called out in what she hoped was a strong and confident voice, slowly moving her legs to the side of the bed to stand. Her head ached and her vision kept blurring in and out of focus. “Breathe, just breathe.” She tried to calm herself. Where was Tobirama…

“I’m sorry to disturb you.” The door creaked open a bit. “I was the one who asked Jinso to give you this room.”

“Jinso?” Sakura didn’t understand. Who was Jinso and...who was…room…

“Shit.” Sakura held her head with both hands, the man from the tavern room, the one she had wanted to speak with when she had...shit, Sasuke, no he wasn’t Sasuke he was...

Izuna stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. She hadn’t invited him in but she seemed a bit out of sorts. 

“My name is Izuna Uchiha. Please pardon my intrusion. I felt honor bound to check on you after your sudden collapse. How are you feeling?” Izuna bowed his head to the woman sitting on the edge of the inn room bed.

“Honor bound…” Sakura muttered as she lifted her head to look the man in the eye.

This was...a nightmare...she was still dreaming. Sakura stood up abruptly and took two steps toward Sasuke, her face contorted in anger and shock. What was he doing here in her room, how dare he...no. She stopped. His face was similar but there were...minute differences, his hair was… This wasn’t…”Ugh.” 

“Are you...unwell. Perhaps I should get an apothecary?” Izuna turned from the room, his hand on the door knob.

“Why are you here?” Sakura asked, one hand to her head, one eye closed as she looked up at the man in the doorway. “How did you find me here?”

Izuna paused. “Sakura right? Jinso told me your name was...Sakura?” Izuna dropped his hand from the door knob and turned back around to face the woman. 

She appeared to be struggling to pull herself together, he wondered what she had been through, to throw her off kilter like this. Izuna could only imagine what could have happened to her if he hadn’t insisted Jinso give her this room, and where was her traveling companion, did he not care for the woman at all?

Sakura frowned, why was Sasuke asking her what her name was, as if he didn’t know...not Sasuke, no. Sakura took two steps back and sat down on the bed again, this time making an effort to look around the room before answering the man. The inn, the tap room, Tanzaku Town.

He’s not Sasuke, she looked at Izuna directly. “Izuna Uchiha you said?”

Izuna smiled. “Yes. I didn’t mean to startle you. Jinso, the owner said your travel companion stopped by earlier but left again on an errand. I won’t keep you from your rest, I only wished to assure myself of your welfare before leaving Tanzaku.” Izuna bowed at the waist.

She was even more beautiful up close. Her dazed and confused expression didn’t quite take away from her light green eyes or her full pink lips, if anything he thought it added to her mystery. 

“Uchiha.” Sakura murmured, recognition flashed in her eyes at the clan name...Sasuke Uchiha, but...she looked more closely at the man by the door to her room. That was not Sasuke. “You, the barkeep told me I was to thank you for this room.” The events of the last few hours were coming back to her now.

“He said he didn’t have any rooms available until you...flared your chakra. You’re a shinobi.” Sakura cocked her head to the side, looking at the man with more interest. “Clan Uchiha.”

“I am. Like you.” Izuna took a few measured steps into the room. She didn’t say his clan name with fear or caution...so she was an ally of their clan, or...shared no blood in their past?

“Why would you help me get a room, you don’t know me.” Sakura asked the question she had meant to ask before her...memories had reared their ugly head.

“A good question.” Izuna shifted his weight on his feet. “Impulse I suppose. My brother tells me it is my worst quality.” He laughed at himself and his nervousness. She was so blunt. He had never met a woman who was so blunt with her words before, and she was watching him...carefully.

“You said you were leaving?” Sakura asked, recalling his previous words.

“Ah yes, now actually. I was only in Tanzaku for a shipment of dry goods. My business has been completed so I will be leaving as soon as I am done here. Like I said, I wanted to make sure you were well before I left.” Izuna smiled a good natured smile. 

He was pleased with the conversation. She asked questions of her own and was responsive...so unlike the clanswomen of the Uchiha and the women of the Fire palace who talked little, offered their opinions even less and bowed down before the man like they were their masters. 

There was none of the false modesty or demure batting of the eye lashes. He found it incredibly refreshing. He liked a strong woman, like his brother Madara...which is why neither of them had married yet despite the immense amount of pressure for them to procreate from the elders of their clan.

Sakura watched Izuna while he spoke. His movements were easy, not rushed or jerky, his voice calm and relaxed...he seemed genuine.

“I am not comfortable with you paying for my room.” Sakura didn’t want to be rude but this arrangement did not sit well with her. “I want to pay you for it. I have some money, please.”

She rose from the bed, moving to the side table for the purse Tobirama had given her but it was gone. For a moment she thought someone had stolen it, before she saw the bento of food on the table...Tobirama...Izuna said that Jinso? Had told him her travel companion had stopped in but had left again. He must have taken his purse.

Moving to the side of the bed where her pouches were she pulled her Konoha money from her bag and poured out a few of the larger coins and handed them to Izuna who looked down at them in confusion.

“What kind of money is this? I’ve never seen this currency before. Ko no ha ?” Izuna sounded out the syllables on the largest coin. “Where is Konoha? Is that where you’re from?”

Sakura nodded slowly. Yes, Konoha...that’s where she was from. She smiled, she remembered lots of trees and a river like…

“Where is Konoha? I have never heard of it before.” Izuna turned the coins over in his hands inspecting them with great interest.

“I…” Sakura frowned in thought. “I don’t remember.”

Izuna looked up from the coin he had been looking at. “You don’t remember where your village is and you’re a shinobi?”

Izuna watched the confusion grow on the young woman’s face with concern. Did she suffer from some terrible accident or illness? He had heard of shinobi losing their memories due to some jutsus or after surviving a particularly horrifying attack. There were even seals that repressed memories, genjutsu that the Uchiha used to confuse their enemies, any number of ways to steal or suppress information from a fellow nin.

“It sounds like a lie. I know.” Sakura understood his suspicion. She saw the doubt in his eyes, the same doubt she had seen in Hashirama’s when she had met him, in Tobirama’s...she didn’t blame them. She doubted she would have acted any different if it had been them to say such things to her.

“I don’t think you’re lying.” Izuna said honestly. “...but I can tell there are things you're not telling me.”

He smiled. “We’re shinobi though. It’s to be expected huh?” He flipped one of the coins she had given him in the air and caught it with the other hand slipping it into his pouch in one sleek motion. 

“I don’t need the rest. Can’t spend them here anyway. You keep them. The room is still on me.” Izuna bowed again. He needed to get going, if war wasn’t so close on the horizon he might have considered staying another night, just to get to know her a little better, but it was on the near horizon and his brother would be expecting him.

Sakura rose to bow her thanks for his generosity, one of her pouches fell to the floor, her soldier pills falling from their individual bag, two of them rolling across the floor to touch against Izuna’s boot.

“Damn it.” She moved to pick them up but Izuna bent over swiping them up and off of the floor before she could reach them.

“Where did you get these? Did you find them here in Tanzaku?” He asked her. This was the most important missing item he desperately needed from the Benisu merchant and his herbalist. If there was another merchant that could provide them to him he wanted to know.

“No, I made them.” Sakura held her hand out but dropped her hand back down to her side, shrugging when he kept hold of the pill staring at her.

“You made these? Are you...a herbalist?” He asked her incredulously.

“A Herbalist? No, I’m a medic nin and a kunoichi.” Sakura told him.

Izuna’s mouth dropped open in surprise. He took two steps forward quickly reaching out for her but she jumped back landing on the other side of the bed and pulled a kunai from her pouch on the bed as she slid across it.

“I’m sorry. I was just excited.” He grinned...so...she really was a kunoichi. A kunoichi with excellent reflexes.

“Can you make more of these if I give the ingredients to you? I would pay you well for them.” He didn’t want to let her know how desperately his clan needed these pills, but he didn’t want this opportunity to pass him by either.

Sakura lowered her blade but kept it in her hand at the ready. “You want me to make you soldier pills? How many?” If what Izuna said was true, that her money wouldn’t spend here, she would need to earn some that would to buy the things she needed.

Izuna thought for a moment. The Benisu merchant usually gave him a time frame of three weeks to a month to complete his orders. “Four hundred.” He cut his usual order in half hoping it would take half of the time.

Sakura hummed to herself. It wasn’t an impossible task. Her usual batches took about a day to complete and resulted in almost three hundred pills...but that was at her leisure, if she wasn’t in a hurry. She was sure she could do four hundred in a day if she doubled her effort.

“You buy the ingredients and pay for half of the order up front.” Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, her kunai still in her left hand.

Izuna smiled, nodding slowly as if he were considering her request. He was impressed, asking for half of the payment up front…”How long will it take you to make them?” He asked as if it were a factor...he would have waited a month if he had to.

“I can have them done for you by this time tomorrow if not before.” Sakura said, not understanding the look of shock and disbelief on the young man’s face.

“A...day?” Izuna asked to make sure he had heard her correctly.

“Yeah.” Sakura creased her brow. “Is that too long, because I don’t think I can get them to you any sooner than that.”

“How much? How much do you want total for the entire four hundred pills?” Izuna asked her ignoring her question because it wasn’t relevant.

Sakura didn’t know the prices here, she didn’t know the currency or the rates. He knew she was a foreigner, that her money wouldn’t be accepted here...she was at the mercy of his honesty. Sakura shrugged. “You tell me. You already know I don’t know.”

Izuna smiled a charming smile. “I’ll give you a fair price. Ask around.” He pulled the storage scroll the Benisu Island merchant had given him and threw it to her. 

“Everything you’ll need is in there, if it isn’t...here.” He pulled a small purse from his belt and threw that to her as well. “I’ll be back tomorrow.” 

Izuna walked to the door, turned and added, “Thanks, Sakura.” ...and left her alone with his storage scroll and purse.

Sakura looked down at her hands where she had caught the scroll and the purse, her kunai on the bedspread where it had fallen from her hand. “I guess I should get started.”


	11. Chapter 11

“What are you doing?” Tobirama landed soundlessly just inside the window of Sakura’s room at the inn, a bag in one hand and a box in the other.

There were bowls lined up on the table, herbs spread out on the bed and dresser, another table that hadn’t been there before held a pot of water and there was a fire burning in the hearth with another pot of water over the fire.

Sakura turned from the bowl she was mixing with a mildly glazed look in her eye as she looked at Tobirama. “Making Soldier pills.” She said, then immediately turned back to her mixing, her lips moving with each stroke.

Tobirama realized she was counting and that the slightly dazed look in her eyes wasn’t due to her sickness but distraction. She was concentrating on her task.

“You’re making soldier pills? You know how to do that?” Tobirama was both impressed and suspicious. 

Soldier pills were new, had recently been invented by a shinobi in the West. An unknown shinobi who had been from an unknown clan that the Kagetsu Clan had tortured into telling them his secrets. His most valuable secret had been the recipe for soldier pills, chakra and energy infusing herb pellets that helped restore chakra and stamina quickly in battle.

Tobirama only knew of two people in the Land of Fire that currently knew how to make soldier pills...himself and a herbalist from Rain...yet...here she was, this mystery woman...making them...right...before...his...eyes.

“I’m not sure. I think...I’ve always known how.” She said in between counting her strokes as she continued to mix her bowl.

“Where did you get all of these herbs? I took the money with me assuming you would still be asleep when I got back.” Tobirama picked up a bag of dried and shredded ginseng. Ginseng was expensive, particularly dried and prepared ginseng such as the one he held in his hand.

“The buyer gave them to me.” Sakura moved to the pot hanging over the fire in the hearth and added the contents of her bowl to the water slowly with one hand while she stirred the contents into the pot with the other.

“Who is the buyer and how did they find out you knew how to make soldier pills?” Tobirama continued to question her.

Sakura didn’t answer him immediately, but she did turn and cast him a calculating look. Tobirama flushed with embarrassment. In his...curiosity, he had forgotten. They were not close friends. He had followed her to Tanzaku uninvited and even if she had welcomed his presence after a while and had welcomed him in her room as a friend...it didn’t give him the right to question her business...or to touch her while she was sleeping.

He must have looked sufficiently guilty because her eyes softened a bit as she continued to look at him.

“I found out that my money isn’t accepted here. I needed to find a way to make money for the things I came here to purchase.” She said simply.

“I have money…” He began, but she turned to him quickly before he could reach for the bag he had set on the table, a bit of liquid spilling from the bowl in her aggravation.

“That’s well and good for you Tobirama Senju, but I do not have money and my pride will not allow me to accept anymore damn fucking charity.” She turned around again ignoring him and effectively ending their conversation. Didn’t he understand...would he take her money if their roles were switched? She doubted it very much.

If Tobirama was a weaker man, a more polite man, he would have left her there to her own devices to take a walk after their last exchange...but he wasn’t.

“How much?” He asked her gruffly.

“How much what?” Sakura turned around again, bowl in her arms. while she continued to mix and count her strokes as she looked at him with a raised pink brow.

“How much did you charge him?” He asked her calmly.

“I didn’t know the prices, so I asked him for half up front, he provided the herbs.” She said honestly, nodding to the purse on the table that Izuna had given her.

Tobirama walked over to the smaller of the two tables and picked the purse up weighing it in his hand thoughtfully. “May I?” He asked her politely, seeing the look of irritation on her face.

Sakura smiled at his peace offering of words and nodded her head as she continued to count. Tobirama upended the bag into his hand and blinked in surprise. “He gave you this for half the payment?”

“Yes, is it not enough?” Sakura asked, frowning at the pile of gold in his large palm. It looked like more than enough to her.

“How many pills are you making him?” Tobirama inquired.

“Four hundred.” Sakura carried the bowl to the pot over the fire and stirred the contents into the pot like she had with the other bowl before it.

“Sakura, who is your buyer, if you don’t mind my asking?” Tobirama asked her more politely this time, his eyes on the gold coins in his hand.

“I promised him confidentiality Tobirama, I’m sorry but I can’t tell you.” Sakura bit her lip, she was lying...and he knew it...but she felt that it was best. Something told her if he knew it would be disastrous.

Tobirama stood before her, red eyes to her green and waited. He sighed, she wasn’t going to tell him. He poured the gold coins back into the small purse. “Whoever they are Sakura, they are desperate for those pills. If this is half of their payment...it is three times as much as the Herbalist from Rain charges...and his prices are already astronomical.”

“Why would they give me that much?” Sakura placed the last bowl on the table and began to bind up the remaining stock of herbs and seal them back into the scroll Izuna had given her.

“They need them badly I suppose.” Tobirama watched her move about the room. Did she not understand...how dangerous this was. What kind of position she had placed herself in by doing this task, by agreeing to this request. 

“When are they supposed to come for their order and pay for the second half?” Tobirama asked, all thoughts of staying out of her business forgotten.

“Tomorrow afternoon.” Sakura sealed the last of the herbs back into the scroll and set it on the table.

“Good. We will leave Tanzaku directly after you complete the transaction. Any purchases you need must be done before then.” Tobirama told her.

“Excuse me but no one made you, team leader here.” Sakura placed her hands on her hips and glared at the albino. 

“How long will it take you to finish these pills?” He ignored her comment purposefully and bit back his smirk as her face flushed red with annoyance.

“A few hours minimum, five at the most. Then they need to dry.” Sakura answered him, understanding dawning on her.

“Good. We will make your purchases while they dry.” He said and jumped out the window to the inn room before she could argue, protest or even respond.

“Bossy.” Sakura muttered to herself, moving back to the fire to stir her pot. The mixture would need to boil for an hour, cool for two hours, then she could start molding them into balls.

Tobirama carried the mugs and tea up to Sakura’s room thinking over what she had told him. It was a good thing he had decided to come with her. She had already attracted too much unwanted attention and would only continue to attract attention the longer they were in Tanzaku. She had refused to tell him who her client was. It irked him but it wasn’t any of his business. Clearly she was as cautious here as she had been in the forest.

He shouldn’t have expected her to trust him, but he realized he had expected her to trust him, why...because part of him had started to trust her. Tobirama stopped mid way up the stairs and paused in his thoughts. He had, he had started to trust her. One foot in front of the other he started moving up the stairs again.

That wasn’t good...he frowned.

It was admirable, her wanting to earn her own money. The person who told her that her money wouldn’t be accepted here must have been the same person to commission the soldier pills from her. How did they know though...how did they know she knew how to make them in the first place. It wasn’t something that came up in casual conversation and he doubted she would have offered up such information about herself, as closed lipped as she was with him and had been with his brother.

She had been sleeping so soundly when he had left, he feared she would sleep for the rest of the day, so he had gone out to look for clothing vendors for her. It would save them from looking for them when she woke and getting caught up in the festival. Tobirama had purchased a few things for her, but he would wait to give them to her. He doubted she would accept them at the moment and he still wasn’t sure if it was appropriate for him to give them to her yet...perhaps when they got to know one another better.

He just knew, he didn’t want her coming back to Tanzaku Town again, with or without him. Tobirama pushed the door to her room open, why bother knocking when he was sure she knew he was there, and she did.

Sakura turned from the pot in the hearth to watch Tobirama re enter the room with a pot of tea and two mugs. He nodded to her as he set their tea on the now clean and clear table. “Tea.” He said gruffly, pouring her a mug and handing it to her.

“Thanks Tobirama, for the tea and for lunch.” Sakura tried to smile at him. She had taken the opportunity to think things over in his absence. It wasn’t his fault he was a product of the times. 

This time...she had started to suspect on the road here that she was out of place, that she was different than those they passed and those that passed them. Her clothes, like in her dreams, were different. She hadn’t seen anyone on the road or in the town that dressed like her. Everyone dressed, like Tobirama, like Hashirama and Izuna and she knew...she was the one out of place here not them.

Sakura had begun to suspect the illogical, that she was the only one out of place here, that she was the only one who was...different.

In her dreams, it varied...the speech, the dress and the behavior of the participants, but in her visions and her more personal memories...everyone dressed like she was dressed now. In tee-shirts and pants or long sleeved shirts and pants of the same color, skirts and dresses that looked nothing like she had seen the other women wearing as she had traveled to Tanzaku with Tobirama. Until she had left the forest...she hadn’t realized how different she was.

She had expected people to stare at her for her pink hair, but not for the oddness of her clothing...

There were very few reasons that made sense to explain such differences, and only one that made perfect sense without raising too many more questions in its wake. She was from a different time than the one she was currently in.

Tobirama watched Sakura stir the pot as her batter cooked slowly over the flames. It was clear she was thinking, she had that distant pensive look, and her brows were pinched together. Hashirama would need to be told about her talents. He wasn’t looking forward to telling his brother that he had followed the woman without his permission, or that he knew about her in general. It had been made clear to him, by Hashirama, that he wanted to keep Sakura a secret, an impossible task, one Tobirama couldn’t believe had lasted so long already.

He had already heard the talk in Tanzaku of the strangely dressed pink haired woman that had been going around every inn asking for a room without a proper male escort. Tobirama grit his teeth at some of the things he had overheard the male population discussing...such as how much she was a night and how she might feel like underneath them.

Tobirama shook his head...he still couldn’t believe his brother had let the woman go alone.

“They will need to cool for an hour or two, then I’ll mold them into pills. Did you want to go shopping now?” Sakura was standing before him, her hand on her hip, the small purse from her client tied to her belt...in that obnoxious orange shirt of hers.

Tobirama noticed that the fire was smothered and that the pot was moved off to the side to cool and nodded. “I went out while you slept to find the clothing district, we can start there. What else did you need other than clothes?” He rose to his feet and started walking to the door.

“Just clothes...maybe a mortar and pestle.” Sakura tapped her finger against the side of her cheek thinking. “Seeds for my garden.” She added.

“You have a mortar and pestle.” Tobirama had seen her using it when he had jumped in through her window.

Sakura shook her head. “I borrowed that one from the lady down stairs, Kinsha. Her and her husband Jinso own the inn and the tavern. They are really nice, this room was reserved but they gave it to me anyway.” She told him.

“Ah.” Tobirama halted mid step. “So…”

“Yeah.” Sakura grimaced apologetically. “They only had one room, sorry. You can uh, sleep on the floor if you want?” She tried to smile. She wasn’t giving him the bed.

Tobirama didn’t respond as they walked across the tavern and out the door to the main road, Sakura waved to Kinsha as they left, a small smile on her face.

“This way.” Tobirama walked ahead of her down the street, not bothering to look over his shoulder to see if she was following him or not.

Sakura didn’t mind. She was too preoccupied with all the moving people around her. Had it been this busy when they had arrived? There seemed to be twice as many people moving around her than there had been when they had first gotten to Tanzaku Town. Almost a year away from civilization had spoiled her from the rigors of humanity. So many people in one place made her nervous.

She quickened her pace to catch up to Tobirama who had cut his stride for that purpose. “Here.” He pointed to a few shops and stands to the left of them.

Sakura nodded and walked into the nearest stand, Tobirama followed. She had never seen clothes like the ones the shop was offering. There weren’t any clothes like the ones she had on, of course, she hadn’t expected there to be any but she had hoped there would be something similar. Walking around the small wooden cubbies and racks she fingered some of the fabrics...they were so coarse and thick. She bit the bottom half of her lip.

“What’s wrong?” Tobirama demanded. “You aren't going to find garments like the ones you’re wearing here.” He told her what she had already known.

“I know but uh...is there a shop where the material isn’t so scratchy?” Sakura frowned at a red robe in her hands and set it back down on the rack.

“We need to go to the other end of the street. The higher priced shops are at the other end.” He watched her curiously. She wasn’t used to wearing everyday clothes...he knew the clothes she wore were made of fine fabrics, even worn out as they were, they had been made of good quality materials.

Sakura was embarrassed. She knew she was ignorant of the prices here but…”How much would this cost Tobirama?” She picked the red service robe up again and looked at him.

“Ten of the smaller coins.” He told her. “Something new and comparable to what you are wearing now would be five of the silver coins or maybe a gold coin.” He added in understanding.

Sakura untied the pouch Izuna had given her from her waist and poured a few of the coins into her hand...they were all gold coins, roughly 30 pieces. “Oh, I understand your curiosity now.” She looked up and met Tobirama’s red eyes.

“We can stop at the stores in the middle.” He told her after seeing the look of bewilderment on her face. 

How could she not understand modern currency? It was as though she had been lifted up from another world and cast down into the one she stood in...as if she were shipwrecked and...understanding dawned on him. Was that what had happened to her? How did she make it so far inland though and why didn’t she remember where she was from…

“If you don’t mind?” Sakura walked out of the shop ahead of him and turned right down the road.

An hour later found them back in Sakura’s room at the inn. She had purchased one pair of men’s pants because the seamstress had refused to make her women’s pants claiming it was indecent, and two women’s serviceable kimonos which she planned on shortening to long shirts when she got back to her cabin in the forest.

They had stopped by a simples shop to purchase seeds for her garden. The man hadn’t had a mortar and pestle but had directed them across the street where she had found not only the mortar and pestle she had wanted but several small spirit lamps that she had purchased without hesitation much to his amusement.

Tobirama noticed she bought very little clothes for having very little to begin with. “Why didn’t you purchase something to wear now?” Tobirama demanded. 

He understood that her lack of wardrobe had forced her to dress the way she had been dressing but she had money now and could purchase proper attire. He didn’t understand why she insisted on wearing that ugly orange shirt and those ridiculously tight pants.

“You could have purchased a men’s shirt if you are so against the women’s clothes that were available to you.” He said flatly, glaring at her shirt.

“They didn’t have anything my size.” She argued back, she had already thought of that. She wasn't a seamstress, she didn’t know how to sew well enough to alter a men’s shirt to fit her properly. Cutting off the bottom of a service kimono and sewing a straight line was one thing, but detailed alterations was out of her skill set.

Tobirama continued to glare at her. “Have you not seen the way the men look at you, are you that oblivious to their lecherous eyes?” He threw his hand toward the window, indicating the public eye.

“I don’t care, it’s not like I’m going to live here. We’ll be leaving tomorrow.” Sakura rolled her eyes at the man. She wasn’t an idiot, of course she had seen the way people were looking at her, of course she had felt their evil intent and lurking animosity...she just didn’t care.

“Have you no dignity?” He demanded, fed up with her carelessness. She was making a spectacle of herself inviting danger for their journey home.

Sakura threw her hands up in the air, “Fine if it’s that important to you, you go buy me a damn shirt and I will wear it okay? I don’t have time, I need to start molding my pills.” She shook her head at him, turned her back to him, and pulled the pot from the cool hearth ignoring his muttering as he left the room.

“Ridiculous woman.” Tobirama jumped out the window and down to the street.

“Opinionated ass!” Sakura yelled out the window making several heads turn to look up at her from the street below.


	12. Chapter 12

Sakura was halfway done with her soldier pills by the time Tobirama returned...with more bags than was typical for one men’s shirt. She eyed the bags suspiciously as he jumped through the window into their room and set them on the bed.

She had thought about what he had said while he was gone and realized he may have been right to push her into wearing something more appropriate. While she didn’t think there was anything wrong with the way she was dressed, society as a whole thought otherwise and she was in society, at the moment, not the forest.

“You only got me one shirt right?” She asked him, she had calmed down and didn’t want to jump to conclusions and start another argument with him.

“I got you three.” She opened her mouth to protest and he added... “Who knows when you will be able to return to Tanzaku again.” He said flatly ignoring her disgruntled look. 

“You can pay me for them if you’re going to get stubborn about it.” He was sick of her attitude and didn’t want to argue anymore.

“Three?” She quirked her eye at the bags, ignoring his snark.

“...and three more pairs of men’s pants. A thick blanket and...a sleeping kimono.” His ears went pink. “For after baths.” He cleared his throat.

“Why?” She set down the molding spoon she had in her hand and moved over to the bags picking up one of the shirts. “Is this...a boy’s shirt?”

“It will fit you better than a man size shirt, since you insist upon cross dressing. There are ties there for the waist. To make it more...feminine.” Tobirama waved his hand at the bags.

“Why?” Sakura asked him again, picking up a pair of the pants. They were nice. Much nicer than the ones she had purchased for herself. Why would he do this for her...unless he wanted something?

Tobirama sat down at the table, looking over her soldier pills before answering her. “I want you to give me your recipe for your soldier pills.” He said bluntly.

Sakura watched him fidget in the wooden chair. She hadn't expected that. Sakura could tell by his stiff shoulders and tight mouth that he didn’t like asking her for this and she wondered how often he asked people for anything, much less...help. 

So he had come to her with gifts, he wanted it to be an even exchange...she smiled smugly. “I see I’m not the only one who doesn’t like to take charity hum?”

“Will you tell me or not?” He glared at her.

“I will, but not because you bought these things for me.” She smiled at him, pleased that he was treating her more as an equal now. 

“Then why?” He asked, why was she smiling at him like that…

“I will tell you, because you asked.” Sakura laughed at the look of disgust on his face. She had guessed correctly. He didn’t like asking people for favors. “...and because we are...friends.”

“Come here, I’ll show you how to mold them.” Sakura moved over at the table she had been working at so he could stand beside her, looking over her shoulder at him expectantly.

She considered him a friend?

Tobirama stared at her...was she...no, he pushed the thought from his head and moved to stand beside her. He already knew how to mold the pills, he only wanted to compare her recipe to the one he had. She used more herbs than his, and hers seemed to be smaller in size now that he looked at them. He wondered at their effectiveness.

Sakura picked up the small spoon and swiped it through her batter. “Take a spoonful like this and roll it, press it, then set it.” She rolled the small rounded batter in her palm, pressed the oval ball in on the sides smoothing it out, then set it on the drying cloth on the other table. 

“Easy.” She smiled at him.

Tobirama looked down at her. She was too close. He could see the smaller lashes of her eyes as she looked up at him. He nodded, took the spoon from her and did as she said, making a nice neat ball just like hers and placed it on the other table.

“Good.” Sakura took another spoonful and set the spoon down for Tobirama to pick up and gather more batter to roll.

They worked in companionable silence for the next two hours, each lost in their own thoughts, enjoying the methodical repetitive process of pill rolling.

“That should do it for now. Four hundred for the order and I still have batter for about, um...one hundred or so for myself.” Sakura smiled. She had planned on making more for herself but hadn’t been able to collect all of the needed herbs last season, now she wouldn’t have to.

“You need one hundred for your own use?” Tobirama knew that soldier pills were dangerous if you ate more than two a day...at least the kind he knew how to make were.

“I wouldn’t say need no, but it is nice to have them on hand. I only have about thirty left of my original stash.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “They are still good though, I don’t recall how long I’ve had them, at least a year of course.” She pulled her bag of soldier pills from her pouch and looked through them.

“Your pills keep for a year?” Tobirama was surprised. The soldier pills he made, the same ones that the herbalist in Rain made only had a shelf life of a month. “Did you tell your buyer that?”

“No, why would I tell him that, everyone knows that.” Sakura almost laughed but for the odd look on Tobirama’s face. “Right?”

“The shelf life for the only soldier pills I know of Sakura, is a month.” He told her.

“A month? That’s it?” Sakura scrunched up her nose. “That’s...so useless. Why?” She asked him.

“I imagine it is because of the fat used in the boiling process.” He said, taking another spoonful of batter and molding it into a ball.

“Fat? Why would you use fat to make soldier pills.” She laughed out loud.

“You don’t use pig fat to make your pills?” He asked her curiously.

“No, that’s gross.” Sakura scrunched her nose up again just thinking of using such a disgusting ingredient for a soldier pill. No wonder they only lasted a month. They probably made people sick too if they went bad or weren’t properly cured with salt..

“That’s the only way I know how to make them...or anyone in the Land of Fire.” he watched her face change from humor to confusion, to bewilderment. 

“I have never heard of that before. Seems useless to me.” She shrugged.

“Sakura, don’t you understand?” Tobirama said impatiently.

“What?” Sakura looked up from the ball she was rolling in her hand.

“Your soldier pills are worth far more than your client is paying for them now that you know this.” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“I suppose so, but I am not going to change the price on him. You said he paid three times the amount and I have everything I need and more.” She didn’t care. She had hardly spent any of the money Izuna had given her and he still owed her the other half of what they had agreed on.

“But…” Tobirama began.

“Look money doesn’t matter to me okay? I have more important things to worry about. I have food and a home and now clothes. I got some spirit lamps and I have my mortar and pestle, it isn’t a big deal to me.” She had never really liked money, she saw the need, the value but thought it was more trouble than it was worth to her. She had everything she needed, she didn’t want more money.

Tobirama opened his mouth to explain to her that it didn’t matter if she wanted the money or not, that she deserved it because her product was now, the best on the market, and that if she was going to attract the attention it would bring her by making them, she had every right to reap the fullest rewards from it as well, but the icy glare she was giving him made him shut his mouth with a snap...and pick the spoon up to make another pill for her.

“I will give you the recipe Tobirama and twenty of the pills if you help me finish these before dinner. I’m hungry.” Sakura looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

Tobirama sighed. He was being bribed and he knew it, but he also wanted some of her pills. “Fine.”

Sakura smiled. “Good. I’m buying dinner, you bought lunch.”

“I don’t really think that is…” Tobirama began.

“Shut it, or no recipe.” Sakura smirked as he shut his mouth again and glowered at her.

“Tobirama?” Sakura smiled a little smile as they continued to make batter into small balls together.

“Hmph?” He grunted.

“Thanks for following me to Tanzaku Town and for helping me...with everything.” She looked up at him and smiled.

Tobirama’s ears turned bright pink. “It is my pleasure Sakura.” He said softly.

Sakura continued to smile while Tobirama avoided her eye. It was nice, she thought, being here with him, talking and just...being. He was different from Hashirama, gruff and a bit standoffish at first but once he got more comfortable and once one realized that it was just in his nature to question everything...it wasn’t so bad, being with him like this.

“Tobirama?” Sakura looked up at the Senju. “You could come visit me...at my cabin sometime, if you wanted to...like Hashirama does, if you want.” 

“I think my brother would prefer to keep you as a secret. His secret.” Tobirama told her bluntly.

“Oh.” Sakura looked back down to the ball she was molding in her hands.

“So, I won’t tell him when I visit you.” He added...concentrating on molding the ball in his hands.

“Okay.” Sakura smiled.

“Hmph.” Tobirama looked over at her as she looked away, then placed his ball on the table beside them with the others, picking up the spoon to start the next ball.

“Looks like we’re done. What did you want to get for dinner?” He asked her, pleased with the slight flush on her cheeks.

“Whatever you want, my treat.” She started to pile the used dishes up on the table and wiping down the free surface. “Let me take these down to the kitchen first. Kinsha was kind enough to let me use her mixing bowls.”

Tobirama watched Sakura leave their room with her arms full of bowls and other utensils she had needed to make her pills...his brother was going to murder him. 

“Shit.” Tobirama ran his hands over his face. He hadn’t meant to get this involved...she was so intriguing and...to be fair, she had spoken to him first but…he had decided to follow her. ”Hashirama is going to kill me.”

Jinso was behind the bar when Sakura walked down the stairs with her arms full of their borrowed utensils. “Go ahead on back, Kinsha’s back there.” He cocked his head to the left indicating the kitchen door.

Sakura nodded and walked back into the kitchen, ignoring the avid stares of several of the men at the bar.

“She’s under the protection of the Uchiha.” Jinso said loudly as he continued to wipe down the counter in front of him. 

All the eyes that had followed Sakura’s figure into the kitchen looked elsewhere, save one set. A pair of golden eyes continued to watch the door to the kitchen even as Jinso moved in front of the man who owned them. 

“Can I get you anything else?” Jinso smiled a fake, friendly smile at the shinobi.

“Nothing that is yours to offer.” The man nodded toward the kitchen, rose from his seat and left the tavern.

Damn that woman, Jinso never should have given her that room.

“Thank you for letting me borrow your things Kinsha.” Sakura set the clean bowls on the drying rack and began to wash the mortar and pestle she had borrowed. “I finished the Uchiha’s order, they just need to dry, but they will be ready for him tomorrow. I was wondering, if I give you a bit of coin for your trouble would you see that he gets them?”

“Of course Sakura dear but doesn’t Uchiha Sama owe you the other half of the payment for his order?” Kinsha asked her confused, she had overheard Izuna Sama speaking with her husband after he had placed his order with Sakura.

“Technically yes but he gave me more than I needed. Tell him to give it to you, or to a family who needs it.” Sakura smiled and placed the last of the dishes on the rack and wiped her hands on her pants. “I need to go, my friend and I are going to grab something to eat.”

“Technically?” Kinsha had never heard that word used before but understood the context. “Wait, Sakura, what do you mean you don’t want the rest of the money Uchiha Sama owes you?” Kinsha ran to the door of the kitchen but the young woman was already gone.

Izuna Sama would not be pleased. He didn’t like owing anything to anyone…

Tobirama was reading in one of the chairs by the window when Sakura returned to the room. “You’re going to change before we go out, aren’t you?” He asked her pointedly.

“I was planning on it. Give me a moment.” Sakura grabbed one of the bags he had purchased for her and her pouch and shut the bathroom door behind her without looking at him.

Pulling one of the boys shirts out of the bag, she held it up to her and looked down. It looked like it would fit her. There was no mirror in the bathroom but it was just a plain long sleeved tunic and anything was better than the rag she was wearing, she would admit...though, not to Tobirama. Pulling the black pants from the bag she knew she would have to roll the legs up a bit because they were too long but the material was nice and had drawstring ties so it would fit her waist.

Begrudgingly, she admitted he had picked out some decent clothes for her. Plain pants and plain shirts, nothing fancy, just what she had wanted. She even thought the lighter grey of the tunic looked nice with the black pants.

Digging in the bag for the ties he told her he had gotten she came across a paper wrapped package. Turning the paper package over in her hand she peeled it away to reveal a beautifully embroidered wrap belt. Sakura’s green eyes crinkled in surprise. It was white and green, the same green of her eyes. She looked at the closed door of the bathroom...had he...done this on purpose? Of course he had…

Sakura unfolded the belt, wrapping it around her waist, cinching the loose shirt up so it was more form fitting and tied the ends of the belt by the silk cords. Turning left and right she surveyed her new clothes...they were nice. Quickly, she brushed her hair, leaving it loose to fall down her back, brushing against the tips of her fingers as she turned to pack her things away, then opened the door.

Tobirama was sitting on the bed, one leg pulled up and resting on the ankle of the other as he leaned back against the wall, his book opened in one hand, and running his fingers through his spiky white hair with the other. He had heard her come out of the bathroom but hadn’t looked up. He was searching through his personal journal that he carried with him for the soldier pill recipe he had to compare it with the one Sakura had shown him.

Slouched as he was he hadn’t realized the woman had yet to move away from the bathroom door. Turning his head to ask her if she was ready to leave so he could seal his journal again he paused, taking in her appearance. 

She looked quite nice in the clothes he had picked out for her, particularly the embroidered belt that he had chosen because it matched her eyes, but that wasn’t what had him rising from the bed to walk toward her slowly, carefully, with his book dropped down at his side in one hand. 

No, it was the sudden pale that had blanched the features of her face, the trembling of her bottom lip and the slightly frantic look of...flight in her eyes that had him approaching her with caution. 

“Sakura...are you alright?” He asked her calmly, rolling his journal up and tucking it into his back pocket.

Sakura took one quick step back, her body hitting the door behind her, throwing the unlatched door open and making it hit the wall of the bathroom with a loud crack. She jumped, sidestepped Tobirama and moved into the center of the bedroom, her hands up in front of her as if she were scared he would try to come closer to her.

“Sakura?” Tobirama frowned. He didn’t understand. They had been getting along so well and now she was...looking at him like she had seen a ghost.

“You’re not him. I know you’re not him, you’re Tobirama. Give me, just a moment.” Sakura closed her eyes, her lips moving soundlessly as though she were trying to reassure herself, as though she were speaking to herself to calm herself.

Tobirama pulled his journal from his pocket and sealed it with a protection jutsu, placing it in his pouch while Sakura continued to mutter to herself. He had hoped she wouldn’t have another episode of, whatever it was that afflicted her, while they were in Tanzaku, but it appeared she was having one now. This one however didn’t seem as bad as the one she had on the road to Tanzaku.

He sat down on one of the chairs and watched her calm her breathing. She had said, ‘You’re not him.’, not who, he wondered. He wanted to ask her to sate his curiosity but refrained from doing so, for her sake. She was clearly disturbed. Besides, she probably wouldn’t answer him anyway.

She seemed to be having some sort of an attack or fit, perhaps a visual attack of some sort...a distortion of reality? Had she been placed under a genjutsu? Was she under a genjutsu? He had seen others with that distant look in their eyes, it was common to see particularly on civilians...this was an era of war. 

It was more rare but some shinobi would have that look on their faces from time to time. Those who had been through something horrific, those who had survived while others had fallen down around them...could she have...experienced something like that? Is that why she acted like she did sometimes, was that why she couldn’t remember her past because she...didn’t want to remember? 

Tobirama rose from his seat. She was more relaxed now, he could see the awareness in her eyes again. She had refocused herself.

“Do you suffer from an agitated recovery Sakura, from a strong genjutsu?” He asked her once her eyes had focused on him.

“I don’t know. Sometimes I…” She bit her bottom lip and looked down at the floor. “I’m fine. I’m sorry. Thank you for the clothes Tobirama. I really like the belt.” She tried to smile at her friend. She could see the concern and speculation in his eyes as he looked at her.

As he had expected. She didn’t wish to speak of it, whatever it was...

“Are you really fine Sakura?” Tobirama took a step toward her, his hand reaching out to her, then dropping back down at his side, as though he had thought better than to act on the impulse.

It wasn’t like the time Hashirama had asked her if she was okay. The way Tobirama asked her if she was fine was more...knowing as if he knew she wasn’t fine and that...he knew how to help her. Hashirama had grabbed her when she had stumbled. Tobirama had let her stumble to see how she would fall. To see if she would fall. He had asked her if she was okay, knowing full well she was not but that he couldn’t ask her anything else...unlike Hashirama, who hadn’t been sure if she was okay or not but wanted to offer her sympathy.

Sakura didn’t want his sympathy...and Tobirama offered her none. It was then, that Sakura realized the largest difference between the two brothers Senju. Hashirama wanted to protect her. Tobirama wanted to know that she could protect herself.

“I am now.” Sakura smiled.


	13. Chapter 13

Madara watched Izuna’s hawk fly over the treetops to the north and east back toward Tanzaku Town. Those damn swindling weasel headed merchants of Benisu Island had put back their order for soldier pills, again. That was the second time in the last six months. They knew the Uchiha were at war with the Senju. They knew that they relied heavily on those damn pills in battle! They would not go unpunished. 

Madara had suspected, since their last order of soldier pills, that the merchants were purposely keeping their soldier pills from them. They had raised the asking prices on them twice...and Madara suspected it was to deter them from purchasing from them...but why? 

Madara would have left immediately to confront the blasted merchants himself if Izuna hadn’t informed him that he had miraculously, and by sheer dumb luck, found a medic shinobi who also knew how to make the coveted solider pills. Sadly, the order was only for half of the usual amount and Izuna would need to stay in Tanzaku for one more night to obtain the pills, but it was worth it.

Izuna had assured him that the medic had agreed on the same price that the Benisu merchants had given them, Madara was pleased. It usually took three weeks to a month for their usual order, the medic must have had some pills on hand to be able to produce the rest so quickly. If this medic shinobi’s soldier pills were of the same caliber and quality as the Benisu Island ones, Madara would personally request him as their new vendor.

Izuna had given him very little information on the medic nin he had found in Tanzaku. Madara wondered what clan the man was from, where he had learned how to make soldier pills and why he was willing to make them for the Uchiha Clan. While there were other notable clans allied with the Uchiha, there weren’t many and none that knew how to make soldier pills...which is why they had paid the outrageous fee for the ones made by the Benisu merchants’ herbalist from Rain.

...and the only medic nin he knew of, was Hashirama Senju. He knew Izuna was clever and wise enough not to be taken in by a swindler. He hadn’t heard of any other herbalists that worked out of Tanzaku. Maybe they were traveling through and had only stopped in Tanzaku for the annual festival. 

A medic nin...Madara ran a hand through his spiky locks, tugging at the ends when they snagged on his unruly hair...were they nomadic, is that why he hadn’t heard of him before...maybe he could persuade them to come to the compound and work for the Uchiha… Madara pushed such thoughts from his head for now. He would need to find out more about this medic nin from Izuna when he returned to the compound.

Having Izuna gone to Tanzaku Town had given Madara a little more time to himself. He only spared with Izuna...he really only enjoyed Izuna’s company. The council had met for a few hours to discuss strategy again but Madara had been even more unresponsive than he had in the last meeting, and without Izuna there to nudge him back into attention, the council had given up on him and had left him to his thoughts.

Madara sat in his garden and watched the bees land on the flat white flowers beside him. He wondered if the Tennyo would be at the river again tonight. Izuna wouldn’t be home until tomorrow, perhaps he could go to the Naka River tonight...just to see if she was there.

Hashirama stood in the middle of Sakura’s new house that he had built for her and frowned. He may have been a tad overzealous…

He ran his hand over the smooth surface of the engawa as he sat on the porch and looked out over the garden he had planted for her, had used his jutsu to grow to maturity for her. Each vegetable hung heavy from their stem, each fruit burst to ripeness from their branch, he hoped she would see his efforts for what they were...a sincere apology for his indiscretion.

In addition to her rabbit hutch, he had brought her six chickens and a beautiful rooster with long iridescent plumes of blue and green, orange and light browns...and had built a large coup for them, adjacent to the rabbit hutch, complete with a door and latch to keep murderous foxes and weasels out.

Sakura could live comfortably now. He was satisfied with his work. She would get used to it and come to appreciate it in time he told himself, reassured himself. He had made the right decision to do this for her, with or without her permission, she needed this and he knew she would never ask him for it so...he had done it for her so she wouldn’t have to ask. That’s what friends did for one another right?

She should be back this evening, or tomorrow morning at the latest. Tobirama hadn’t returned from his trek yet and Hashirama wondered what village he had gone to and why yet again. It was unlike his younger brother to leave without telling someone in person, to leave a note and begone for more than a day or an afternoon...particularly this close to war.

Tobirama had been the one to criticize Hashirama about neglecting his duties so close to the next battle with the Uchiha and yet he wasn’t here, attending the meeting that was to take place that afternoon, was he?

Hashirama sighed...it didn’t matter anyway. It was always the same. Kill the enemy, use the terrain to our advantage...eliminate Madara Uchiha.

“Madara.” Hashirama said his best friend’s name quietly. Yes, Hashirama still considered Madara Uchiha to be his best friend, to be his equal.

Was that why he was doing this for her..to right a wrong that he had no opportunity to right, by doing this small thing for her was he hoping to redeem himself for...Madara? He couldn’t help his friend with the shared hatred between their families, but he could help Sakura, whether she wanted his help or not. No, he was lying to himself and he knew it, he had done this for himself...for her but to alleviate his guilt. Still, he hoped she would like it.

Sakura wrapped up the last bag of soldier pills, that had spent the last four hours drying on the table beside the fireplace in their room, and sighed. 

“All done.” She smiled at Tobirama who was sitting at the other table, notebook out, writing notes on her soldier pill recipe that she had given him. He didn’t look up from his writing, his head was down and his hand was flying over the paper in front of him.

“Was this your final recipe or ...I assume you had others before this one...you must have right?” He half asked, half spoke to himself as he continued to scratch notes down in his book. “I’ve never known them to work so quickly and to have such restorative properties. The Nara antlers, those are the key I assume…”

At his own risk he had eaten one of the pills from the bag she had given him for helping her mold her pills for her customer. To her surprise, he had only hesitated for a moment, before placing the pill in his mouth and crunching it in between his teeth. He trusted her. He had helped her mold the pills, but he hadn’t been there when she had mixed the ingredients together. It was quite foolish of him in her opinion...to take such a risk. 

She thought of the buns Hashirama had brought her the other day and blushed with embarrassment at her lack of caution...she had been foolish too.

“You’re mumbling again.” Sakura counted the small bags of pills as she placed them into the basket for Izuna.

“Hum?” Tobirama looked up when she spoke, his eyes slightly narrowed at her verbal interruption.

“You’re mumbling Tobirama. Yes, to answer your mumbled question, Nara antlers are the key ingredient and yes, it took me almost ten follies to perfect that recipe. However the original recipe wasn’t mine. I got it from my shisou.” Sakura placed the note she had written to Izuna into the basket, then sealed it into the storage scroll he had given her along with the rest of the herbs she hadn't used.

“Who was your shisou? Why aren’t you keeping the herbs?” Tobirama asked her curiously, most people would have considered the herbs theirs and as part of the agreement...but she didn’t.

“It isn’t important and I don’t need them. I have the additional pills aside from the ones I gave you. I don’t need anymore right now and I have seeds for my garden if I need more. The Nara antlers though, I kept those.” Sakura patted her personal storage scroll he recognized from her things he had gone through while she had slept earlier that day.

“You’re sure you want to leave in the morning, you don’t think you should wait to collect the other half of your payment?” Tobirama knew she had purposely avoided one of his questions but had learned it was best to ignore it and maybe ask again later. 

He still didn’t agree with her decision to leave before she had been fully paid, but he thought it admirable that she had told Kinsha to give the money to a family who might need it...kami knew there were plenty of those with all the war and poverty from the last few decades. Whether the money would be distributed was another story though.

“Why not take the money yourself and give it to a needy family, or several, that way you know it will get to those who need it...if you refuse to take what is owed to you yourself.” He said for the second time in the last two hours.

“Do you want it?” Sakura rolled her eyes knowing full well it would insult him that she would even suggest he would take the money she had earned.

“I do not.” He said gruffly, offended, just as she had predicted.

“Then don’t worry about it.” Sakura stretched her arms above her head. “I’m going to take a hot bath while I still can. Will you be up much longer Tobirama?” 

“No, since you refuse to stay and collect your payment for your labor there is no reason for us to stay after breakfast.” He tried one last time but she rolled her eyes at him as she grabbed her bag from the back of the chair he was sitting on and moved toward the bathroom.

Her sleeve had brushed up against the back of his neck when she had pulled her bag from the back of his chair...and it sent little shivers of tension down his spine that he hoped hadn’t shown on his face.

Dinner had been pleasant. Since it was the first evening of the festival, all of the food vendors were open for business, and there was almost anything available to eat that you could think of. He had watched with little contained amusement as Sakura moved from one vendor’s stall to the next trying to decide what she wanted to eat first.

The press of humanity around her hadn’t seemed to bother her as much as it had earlier that day when they had gone to the clothing district for her. Fewer people gawked at her now that she had proper clothes he thought smugly, or perhaps it was because it had been evening and her hair didn’t stand out as much in the fading light.

She had settled on simple hokakes and sweetened rice rolls, while he had gotten his usual grilled fish over plain rice, his pallet being less demanding than hers, and they had retired to a small bench on the outskirts of the market to enjoy their food in muted chaos that continued to flood over the roofs tops from the market main.

“I feel like I’ve been here before.” She had told him after they had finished eating and were sitting side by side on the bench...him looking up at the stars, she looking down at her feet.

Tobirama kept his eyes to the stars, it was the first time she had offered him any information about herself...without him asking or prompting her to do so.

“I feel like...I’ve been to a lot of places that I can’t remember.” She had told him before stopping once more, falling silent beside him again…

They had left the market after that. He had thrown their take out boxes away and had led them back to the inn, up to the room and had closed the door on the chaos rioting noisily below.

Tobirama could hear Sakura moving around in the bathroom. She had taken the sleeping robe into the bathroom with her. He couldn’t wait to see it on her. He had picked it because...he couldn’t see her not wearing it...it had been rather expensive but he had wanted her to have it and to think of him whenever she wore it.

He was a fool...he knew that and for the first time in his life he really felt like he and his brother Hashirama had something in common. He chuckled lowly to himself, there was no one in the room to hear him. Yes, he was a fool but...maybe she was worth it.

Sakura sat on the wooden bench beside the tub that served as both a wash bench and a step for the tub itself. Dinner had been nice...comfortable...disturbing.

She picked up her bar of soap from the shelf and dunked it with a soft cloth into the bucket of water she had drawn from the bath while the rest of her water heated. 

Tobirama reminded her of a more gruff, more blunt Kakashi. Sakura laughed to herself. No, that wasn’t exactly true. He reminded her of a more real Kakashi, of the man behind the mask, that so few in Konoha knew him as...that’s right, she was a Konoha nin.

If she didn’t concentrate very hard, if she let the emotions and the pictures flit through her mind...sometimes she could reach out mentally, quickly and grasp onto a picture and feel the emotion behind it, if only for a moment...before it passed her by. Slowly, she had begun to realize that...she may have left someone behind, someone very important to her. 

“Behind where though, in the future or the past…” She wasn’t sure, she didn’t even know if her dreams were real or if...it was all in her head. Her head turned and looked at her new clothes, her new robe that Tobirama had given her. Those clothes were real, just as real as her old tattered...unusual ones she had been wearing before she had exchanged them for her new ones. New ones that made her look like everyone else around her.

Sakura set the soap down on her knee. Presuming she really was out of her own frame of time, and everything indicated that she was...how did it happen, was it intentional and could she get back.

“Back.” She had no idea where back was...yet. Did she want to go back...maybe she had left for a reason, a reason that was so horrible she didn’t want to remember it?

Sakura ran the soapy cloth over her arms and legs, washed her back as much as she could, running the cloth over her chest and underarms. Her visions seemed to come just as sporadically as ever only now...the last one with Tobirama, had been triggered she realized. The same had been the case with Izuna and...Sasuke.

Her ghosts were materializing around her and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. ...but they weren’t ghosts, not really. They were real people, real memories...maybe… Some were more hazy than others. 

She knew some were her own, because she could see herself in them, she knew she belonged in them. Others...she knew weren’t her memories but visions of...the future, or the past...she didn’t know. There was so much she didn’t know.

Time...she just needed more time.

Sakura picked up the pink bottle from her bag and washed her hair, then the blue with her conditioner. As she worked the conditioner into her hair her thoughts strayed again to Tobirama. 

Senju...she knew that clan...her shisou was a Senju...wasn’t she? ‘Who was your shisou?’Tobirama had asked her. She wasn’t sure how to answer his question, so she hadn’t and he hadn’t pushed it. Sakura closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the name...flashes of a cliff side came into her mind, with faces carved of stone, faces that were…

”Shit.” Sakura leaned back against the wall as her head began to throb. “It’s like...something doesn’t want me to remember.”

This hadn’t been the first time she had tried to concentrate on a certain memory or a certain vision and had fallen ill. It seemed some memories made her dizzy, while others caused her pain. Some, like the one of Sasuke and...and her team made her black out. 

“Kakashi…” That pain again, that piercing pain that made her heart and her head hurt at the same time. There were seals and genjutsu that blocked memories...her chakra was sealed with a similar technique, she knew that much from her conversations with Hashirama. Did someone not want her to remember where she was from? Something to think about...later, perhaps when she got home to her nice quiet little cabin in the forest. She missed it. The closeness, the solitude.

Tanzaku had been...eventful and exciting but it was time she got back home. It was time to return to the peace and quiet of her small little patch of the dense forest.

Sakura filled the bath bucket with warm water and rinsed the conditioner from her hair, twisted it up on top of her head and pinned it with a clip. They would leave in the morning. She would leave the basket of pills with Kinsha for Izuna, and her and Tobirama would travel back home, to her forest together. She had meant it when she had told him he could visit her at her cabin after they returned. She knew he had followed Hashirama there before, had listened in on their conversation…

He had told her that his brother would not be pleased. No, she didn’t think he would be pleased at all to know that his younger brother had followed her to Tanzaku, had listened in on their private conversation and was in the other room while she bathed naked in the tub...but that wasn’t any of Hashirama’s business as far as she was concerned. The man had no claim on her, no more than his brother Tobirama had...which was none at all beyond, friendship.

Sakura lowered herself into the bath and swiped the hair out of her eyes that had fallen from her clip. Tobirama was a very handsome man she mused, laughing a little to herself. Maybe it was the white hair. She closed her eyes...or perhaps the red eyes that made her want to look at the man again. Yes, Tobirama reminded her of Kakashi, but they too...were different.

She closed her eyes against the pain in her head. It seemed to throb in time with her heart. Tobirama had asked her if she was under a genjutsu. It was possible, she hadn’t thought of that. Lifting her hands out of the water in front of her she made the signs, “Release.”

Nothing happened and she sighed. Not a genjutsu. What else had he said? Recovering from one...it was a possibility but she doubted it. He didn’t know about her dreams, about the voices in the night, about the laughter in the day. She had started to tell him earlier, after dinner, she had wanted to...tell him more about herself but she feared he would think her crazy or unhinged, so she had stopped. It had to be a seal.

She hadn’t been sure about the bond Hashirama had offered her. She didn’t know if when he asked her if he could come visit her again...if she had wanted him to, but she knew she wanted that with Tobirama...which is why she had told him he could visit her if he liked. She wanted to see him again...after Tanzaku Town, back home at her cabin she wanted that bond with him.

Sakura nibbled on her bottom lip, the steam of the bath rose up around her cheeks, covering her blush. Hashirama had tried to kiss her and she had pushed him away. If Tobirama tried to kiss her...she didn’t think she would mind. Sakura smiled at the thought, her eyes darting to the back of the bathroom door, the only thing that separated her from Tobirama right now.

“I’m so stupid.” She chastised herself. The thought of kissing her had probably never crossed the man’s mind.

With another deep sigh she stood up in the bath and stepped out, pulling her towel from the small shelf and wrapping it around her body. She had just met the man yesterday, she shouldn’t be thinking such lude thoughts. Rolling her eyes at herself she patted her hair dry and hung the towel on the rack. She would pack it back into her scroll before they left in the morning.

One arm at a time she pulled her new sleeping kimono on, the one Tobirama had purchased for her in return for the recipe for her soldier pills. It was a beautiful midnight blue with white trim and sporadic pastel pink and white cherry blossoms flying across the bottom left from the Sakura tree that was on the right. 

It was a fine silk. An expensive silk, that rippled over her body like oil and water, touching her skin with a liquid coolness similar to a lover’s touch. She was fully covered but it left her feeling completely naked. 

Did he know, when he had chosen it, that it would feel like this against her bare skin...is that why he purchased it...had he purchased it because he had imagined her wearing it for him...to take off of her…

Sakura swallowed. She was letting her imagination run away with her. The thought had probably never crossed his mind. Tobirama had probably purchased it for the same reason he had told her he had purchased the belt for her...because it had matched her eyes, and the kimono matched her hair.

Sakura gathered her things, placing them one by one in her bag and lifted it off the shelf, opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom.

Tobirama was sitting on the bed again, book in hand, he had taken his happuri off and his white hair fell over his eyes, his red eyes that were slowly moving up and down her body as she walked toward the bed.


	14. Chapter 14

She wasn’t there. The Tennyo wasn’t by the river...

He had been sitting patiently by the river, laying in the tree for...hours and she still hadn’t shone herself.

Madara ran his fingers over the edge of his gun bai that he had laid across his knees. He had thought she would be by the river tonight, had hoped…

It wasn’t a full moon. Was that why the Tennyo wasn’t there? Did she only come out to look at the moon when it was full? He didn’t think he would be able to wait another month before seeing her again. How very vexing, he cracked his knuckles and looked up at the sliver of the moon, blaming it for his disappointment.

Izuna would return tomorrow. It would be more difficult for him to get away at night. War, could be in a few days or in a few weeks...depending…

Word had come in that evening before he had left the compound...the Senju were gathering. Soon then. Madara stood, placing one foot down, pulling himself up by resting his weight against the wide tree trunk at his back, and looked out over the fast moving darkened river. 

War was pointless. It wasn’t like the river or the mountains that were constant. War was fleeting, men were fleeting and death was quick and bloody...for most. He had wanted to see the Tennyo, at least once more before he left for the battlefield. He wanted to see something beautiful, before the bloodshed, to remind him...he was still alive.

His eyes spun red and glowed eerily in the night’s dim as he scanned the surrounding forest for any signs of the beautiful Tennyo. His eyes passed over it so quickly, if not for the sharingan he would have missed it.

“What is that?” Madara leaned forward, his palm pressed against the branch in front of him, over his head , focusing his piercing gaze...beyond...where part of the Naka River cut off...to the side…

Madara leapt from branch to branch, his feet landing soundlessly on the forest floor, and walked to the edge of the river...and up to where he had seen the break in the bank, to investigate.

Kinsha set the cup of sake down in front of Izuna and smiled a knowing half smile at the young Uchiha. “Her light is out in her room. I checked when I went to bank the second story fire for the night Uchiha Sama.” Kinsha nudged the sake cup toward Izuna with a nod to the drink.

“This is on us. Sakura Chan, is a very unusual woman. I can see why she caught your eye.” Kinsha bowed respectfully to Izuna and left him to his drink.

Izuna looked away from the stairway and down at the cup of sake in front of him. In all the years he had known her, Kinsha had never bought him a drink. He took the small cup in his hand, his eyes going back to the stairs.

“Her friend is with her tonight. It appears he was unable to find his own lodgings.” Jinso walked by Izuna, casually setting a small bottle of sake down in front of him as he passed onto the next person, without breaking his gait.

Izuna’s eyes left the stairwell and looked at the bottle of sake, it was a nice brand, his eyes darted to Jinso who was now at the other end of the bar, then to his wife Kinsha who stood a few feet away speaking to another customer. “I get it okay.” He muttered and drank the cup down, then poured himself another cup.

Sakura lay in bed beside Tobirama, her back turned to him, curled up slightly on her side and tried not to think of how close the man was, or how she could smell the ink from his hands where he had gripped his pen too hard.

Her hand toyed with the sash of her sleeping kimono as she played the last few moments of their conversation over again in her head.

“I’m not sleeping on the floor. I’m not a dog.” Tobirama had looked at her over the rim of his book when she had come out of the bathroom after her bath.

“You’re not sleeping in bed with me.” She had set her bag on the table and glared at him.

“I will sleep on top of the covers, it will be sufficiently appropriate.” He set his book down and blew out the lamp, leaving her in darkness and effectively ending the argument.

“Fine.” She stomped over to the bed. “I just met you, but that’s fine.” She continued to grumble. “Don’t know you well or anything but sure let’s sleep together.”

“Are you going to mutter all night because I’m tired and would like to get at least a little sleep tonight...if you don’t mind.” He turned over on his side and looked at her over his shoulder.

Sakura could barely make his form out in the bed as she pulled back the coverlet and crawled inside, careful to make sure her sleeping wrap didn’t ride up her legs as she did so.

“Would you stop fidgeting.” Tobirama complained.

Sakura resisted the urge to smack him on the back of the head, pulled the covers up and over herself, turning on her side and stared at the wall. She thought she heard a small chuckle and a slight vibration coming from the other side of the bed but she ignored it, counting to ten and closing her eyes…

She didn’t know how long she had laid there after their little snit, but she knew she wasn’t the only one still awake. He might not be moving or fidgeting like she tended to do but his breathing was a bit too regulated, a bit too controlled and his energy levels hadn’t dropped even a little since they had gotten into bed together.

“What time did you want to leave in the morning?” She asked, not even pretending to pretend he was asleep.

“As soon as we wake up.” He replied readily enough proving she had been right, he had been awake the whole time, just as she had been.

“Right.” Sakura muttered and rolled over onto her back, sighing heavily.

“What’s the matter?” Tobirama asked her, rolling onto his back and staring up at the rafters in the ceiling. One of them was crooked...that couldn’t be good, he thought.

“Nothing.” Sakura sighed again, quieter this time, and closed her eyes again.

“How come your chakra never changes?” Tobirama asked her and her eyes popped open again.

Sakura thought about his question. He had noticed, of course he had noticed...she didn’t know why though. All she had was conjecture...

“I think someone...put a seal on it.” She said slowly. “To, conceal my presence.” She added her most recent thought to the end of her previous sentence.

“To conceal you.” He repeated her words.

“Look.” Sakura held her hands in the air in front of her and pushed her chakra into them, making them glow green in the dim light of the room…”See, my chakra signature didn’t change, it doesn’t fluctuate.” She dropped her hands back down to her chest and waited.

Tobirama sat up in the bed and looked over at her. He could barely make her form out in the bed beside him, but he could make it out, heat rushed to his face...she seemed smaller somehow, more delicate, lying there beside him in the bed.

“Could you do that again ?” He asked her.

Sakura lifted her hands into the air again and infused them with chakra. Tobirama watched the green glow in fascination. “Is that...it feels so gentle and…” He swallowed, her chakra was so light and airy...he hadn’t realized. 

He hadn’t seen her perform any jutsu, or use her chakra before now, he had no idea what kind of chakra she had, or what her affinities may be. It was a surprise to find her chakra signature was nothing like her actual chakra and he wondered...why?

“It’s healing chakra.” She said simply.

“Healing chakra?” Was she, like his brother? He hadn't been expecting that...

“I’m a medic nin.” Sakura said, pushing herself up from her lying position to get a better look at him in the dark.

“Oh.” Tobirama said, feeling foolish. Of course she was. That explained a little bit about the soldier pills but…a medic nin? This was amazing...”I was not aware that there were such specialty shinobi classifications. Is that...common where you come from?” His voice betrayed none of his growing interest.

“No.” Sakura said, she didn’t think it was, not like her and her shisou at least. Sakura shifted in the bed to bring her hand up to her head. Shisou...

“Sakura?” Tobirama moved a little closer to her. He had noticed she tended to hold her head right before one of her episodes came upon her. “Does your head hurt?”

“A bit, it’s nothing. It goes away if I stop thinking about it.” She said absently as she rubbed her temples and tried not to think of how she had learned to be a medic nin, who her shisou was or that she had a shisou...

“It doesn’t seem like nothing if it makes you pass out in the middle of a crowded public room, or makes you so dizzy that you have to stop by the side of the road to sit down and rest.” He said a bit more harshly than he had intended to. She was worrying him and he didn’t like it.

“I said I was fine, Tobirama.” Sakura dropped her hands to her lap as if to prove it to him.

“No you’re not.” He said bluntly. “Who placed a chakra seal on you? Who are you hiding from?”

“No one and I don’t know. I didn’t know I had a seal on me until your brother pointed out that my chakra levels are the same no matter how much chakra I use.” She said, bringing her hands back up to her head. The pain was getting worse with every new question that left his mouth.

She didn’t want to talk about this, not with him, not right now. Her head was throbbing more intensely than it had ever throbbed before...was it because of Tobirama, was it because she was talking about it with him, because he was questioning her? 

“Sakura, where are you from, what village, what nation are you?” Tobirama asked her all the questions he had wanted to ask her since they had met. “Why would you have a chakra seal on you if you aren’t hiding from someone?” He demanded again.

“I don’t know Tobirama. Please I can’t...can we talk about this later, my head it’s…” Sakura moved her legs over the side of the bed and hunched over, her head in her hands, clearly in pain.

“I think we should talk about this now. I thought that we were...I mean, I ate one of your pills and we are here together now and…” He stopped himself from saying it, from saying the words that would make him sound like his brother Hashirama.

He was going to say, ‘Don’t you trust me?’, but he couldn’t say that to her...they were nothing to one another, no matter how many moments he thought they had shared...they were still relatively strangers.

“Tobi, please. Trust me.” She said quietly. “I’m not trying to hide anything from you. I really don’t know. Help me.”

Tobirama’s back stiffened. Her voice was so small and fragile. ‘Help me’, it had come out as a plea to his ears...He moved across the bed to sit beside her...and threw his arm around her shoulder. “May I?” He asked her gently.

“Yes.” Sakura leaned into his embrace with a sigh, as he pulled her to his side, and set his chin on top of her head. “Thank you.” She sighed in relief at the comfort he offered her.

“I’m sorry.” He said softly. “It is highly suspect but I do not think you are lying. I never did. I can feel intent, like you and I know you’re telling me the truth.”

“You do? I’m not sure I would believe myself if I were in your place.” She said honestly, she had thought of it many times...she would think she was lying too. She hadn’t blamed him or his brother, she wouldn’t if they never believed her. They were shinobi, trust in a stranger...and someone as strange as her… “I’m so out of place here.” She finished her thought out loud.

“That’s why I believe you. You are too different from the people that surround you, you can’t possibly be from here...you mannerisms, some of the words you use, and as cautious as I have learned you are...some of your facial expressions give you away.” He lifted his chin from her head. “We don’t have to talk about it now though. We can talk about it later.”

Sakura nodded and moved back onto the bed and laid her head down on her pillow.

“Try to get some rest.” Tobirama smoothed the hair back from her face, his fingers resting against her cheek as she looked up at him. He cleared his throat, looking away from her eyes. “I’ll stay up, you sleep, don’t worry about anything okay. I’ll help you.”

‘I’ll help you’, it felt so good to hear those words from a man like him, he would help her...

Sakura closed her eyes and relaxed her arms at her sides, then her legs and slowly breathed out through her nose. She took several calming breaths and smiled faintly. Flashes of white hair, red eyes...and full body blue plated armor flashed through her mind as a man that looked like the man beside her, flashed back and forth, through a battlefield, men dropping to the ground around him, devastation in his wake.

“Thank you Nidaime Sama.” Sakura whispered and fell asleep.

“Nidaime Sama?” Tobirama looked down at the woman beside him, confusion clinging to the corners of his eyes. “Second?” Second what?

Tobirama cupped her cheek briefly then sat back, looking down at his hand...not without her permission he told himself. He could tell it was wearing on her mentally and physically, she was strong but how much more could she take before she broke. It would be tragic, he thought...for someone as strong as her to break.

“I’ll help you.” He told the sleeping woman once more.

A seal. She had said there was a seal on her chakra, not to suppress it but to hide it from...detection. Why does one hide things...so it won’t be found. Someone had put that seal on her to hide her, that was the only logical explanation for her to have such a seal on herself. If she had wanted to hide her chakra, she was skilled enough to suppress her own chakra signature at will, he was sure of it.

The other reason, given her lack of memory...she had placed the seal on herself and had forgotten why.

Her lack of recollection disturbed him greatly. Knowledge was power. He felt that he knew this better than anyone. If she knew where she had come from, why she had that seal on her, who had put it on her and how she had come to be where she was, he felt that half of her issues would be resolved right there.

So, Tobirama looked around the room, his eyes settling on the sleeping woman once more, that is where they needed to start. She needed to get her memories back.

A simple directive that was going to be much harder to execute. He had a theory as to why she couldn’t remember her past but was a little more than hesitant to suggest it to her. He didn’t like seeing her in pain but he truly felt it was what had to be done.

Sakura moved her arm in her sleep, her fingers curled into her palm against her chest. She could do it. She had the resolve, he knew she did. Still, he wasn’t looking forward to it, but he had told her he would help her and he would.

_Skip Skip Skip...the flat stone went whizzing by a young boy's head, skipping skillfully across the river to the other side._

_“Just aim it a little higher than you would think, that’s the trick.” A boy with short brown hair said to the other boy who had been skipping stones beside the river alone before he had arrived._

_“I know. I’ll do it, if I put my all into it. Who the hell are you anyway?” The other boy asked annoyed. He had been alone until the brown haired boy showed up and he had wanted to remain alone._

_“I’m your stone skipping rival, but uh my stone is already on the other side.” The annoying brown haired boy said to the black haired one with a sly grin, taunting him._

_“Answer me! I asked you who you are!” The black haired boy turned, stone in hand to glare at the other boy._

_“First name’s Hashirama, but I can’t tell you my last name.” The boy smirked, his hands on his hips._

_“Hashirama huh? Just watch me. I’m gonna make it.” The black haired boy turned, drew back his arm and snapped his wrist, the stone in his hand skipped across the river...only to fall just shy of the other side._

_“You! That happened because you were standing behind me! I can’t even pee when someone stands behind me!” The black haired boy turned and yelled at the other boy blaming him for his stone not reaching the other side._

_Hashirama hit the ground, his knees drawn up around him, his hands clasped against his knees drawing them up to his chest…”I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He sniffed._

_“What? Hey don’t get all torn up about it, it’s my fault I was just...making excuses.” The black haired boy relaxed in the presence of Hashirama’s sadness, feeling guilty about his outburst._

“Who are you?” Sakura mumbled in her sleep, her hand reaching out as if trying to stop the black haired boy from walking away.

Tobirama watched her from the other side of the bed...she was dreaming. “Who are you?” He asked her, his hand reaching out to pat hers back against her body, against her chest.

He sat up all night, watching over her while she slept but woke her just before the first rays of the new day broke over the horizon. “Sakura.” Tobirama shook her shoulder gently. “We need to get going. I can hear the inn rising for the day.”

Sakura opened her eyes. He was leaning over her, sitting on the bed beside her. White hair falling messily over his red eyes. “Kakashi?” She mumbled, then sat up quickly, her fists rubbing her eyes.

“Kakashi?” Tobirama asked her, that hadn’t been the first time she had said that when she looked at him.

“Sorry.” Sakura shook her head. “Just give me two minutes and we can leave.”

Tobirama watched her move to the end of the bed and walk to the bathroom, grabbing her bag on the way there. Two minutes later, she was dressed and ready to go. With a nod to one another they jumped out the window and ran across the rooftops, down the main market street and across the red pillars, down the road that led out of Tanzaku Town, home...toward their forest.


	15. Chapter 15

Izuna knocked on Sakura’s inn door but there was no answer. He couldn’t feel her faint chakra signature that he had come to recognize since their first meeting. She wasn’t in her room. 

He had some reservations about coming to see her so early not wishing to disturb her rest, but it seemed she had been up before him and had already left? She had told him that the pills would be finished by the afternoon but he had gotten word last night that the Senju were amassing their ranks. He feared that their war would be sooner rather than later and wanted to see how far along she was or if there was anything he could do to help her, but it seemed she wasn’t there.

Briefly he thought she may have stolen his purse and his scroll of herbs without making the pills for him. Wildly he thought maybe she had lied and he had been a fool, maybe she didn’t know how to make the pills at all…

He knocked again for form’s sake then pushed the door open, waiting for a trap or a jutsu to be released. Nothing came. The room was quiet. His eyes spun red as he stepped into the room, his hand on his sword...there was no one there.

Izuna looked over the bed, his sharingan picking up every little detail. Only one side of the bed was mussed, had her friend not joined her last night after all or had he slept on the floor? 

He noticed his storage scroll, the one he had given Sakura yesterday, on the small table by the window. Curious, he went to the scroll, infused his finger with chakra and watched as a basket materialized before him.

“She finished? Already?” He said with surprise. Then his eyes fell on the small folded paper. Izuna picked the note up out of the basket and opened it. Small precise print dotted the paper.

_Izuna San,_

_Per our agreement here are your 400 soldier pills. They have a shelf life of one year. They lose half of their effective qualities after that duration, do not use them after one year, as their properties become unstable, and in my opinion, are not worth the risk. Do not eat more than four pills in a twenty four hour period as it will cause severe cramping and may result in painful dehydration._

_I was informed by an associate that these pills are not...common... and that I should have charged more for them. Consider this a gift of good will on my behalf for your generosity and your trust to execute our agreement unsupervised. I am not blind to the fact you gave me half the cost and the herbs without a proper contract. Thank you._

_If you still feel the need to pay for my services, please give the rest of the money to Kinsha, she will see that it finds a home with the needy, the torn and the hungry._

_One good turn, deserves another._

_Sakura_

“Sakura Chan said that if you were still hesitant to try them, that I could eat one to assure you they aren’t poisoned.” Kinsha stood in the door to the room, watching Izuna with a faint smile.

Izuna looked at the basket of soldier pills. “She left?”

“Before sunrise, with her companion.” Kinsha moved into the room and picked up the bottle of warming alcohol she had left on the nightstand that Sakura hadn’t drunk and tucked it back into her apron.

“Without her payment?” Izuna looked back down at the note in his hand.

“Sakura is a very strange woman, is she not?” Kinsha smiled and walked out of the room leaving the young Uchiha to stare and gap at the letter alone.

“What the fucking hell does this mean?” He read the letter again, then opened each bag of pills to see that they were all there. “She left the herbs too?”

He didn’t understand, why would she do this? Izuna tucked the letter into his shirt, sealed the basket back into the scroll and walked down the stairs to speak with Kinsha again.

He found her behind the bar making tea.

“Where did she go, do you know?” Izuna took the cup of green tea from the proprietor with a nod. “Which direction did she go?”

“Down the main road Izuna Sama, at least two hours ago.” Kinsha backed away from the bar as Izuna dropped his tea on the counter.

“I can still catch her.” He turned from the bar, his hand on his sword, to keep it from hitting the chairs lined up along the counter. “Here.” He threw a small bag of coins to Kinsha, it wasn’t Sakura’s payment, but a payment in her name.

“For those Sakura thought needed it. I’m going to catch her before she gets too far away. I have to know how to get in contact with her again.” Izuna ran to the door and was gone before Kinsha could blink.

Tobirama watched Sakura open and close her mouth silently for the third time that morning since they had left Tanzaku. Clearly she had something to say. He wished she would just say it and get it over with.

“What is it?” He demanded.

She glared at him. “You know, I know you knew . It’s okay to give people time to think over what they are going to say you know. You don’t have to be so pushy.”

“Fine. Speak when you want.” He rolled his eyes and kept walking.

“I had a thought about you.” She didn’t want to use the word vision. It made her sound crazy. “You were flashing all over the battlefield using a transportation jutsu.”

Tobirama stopped in his tracks. “What?” He grabbed her arm, but she made no move to stop him, and his fingers dug into her skin.

Sakura looked up into his eyes. There was curiosity there, but also...anger. “I said I had a thought or a picture of you flash through my head. You were using a jutsu that I vaguely recall, a time space transportation jutsu.”

Tobirama continued to grip her arm and stare at her. How did she know...

“I know it was you. I recognized the hair...and the eyes.” Sakura lifted her hand and then dropped it back down to her side. “Have you...do you know a jutsu like that?”

“I...yes.” Tobirama seemed to realize how forcefully he was gripping her arm and let it go, quickly. “I have recently perfected it but have not had the opportunity to use it in battle, yet.”

“How do you know about it?” He asked her suspiciously.

“I saw you use it.” She said as they began walking again.

“I don’t understand, you were spying on me?” It was impossible, no one knew he had invented it, he hadn’t even shown Hashirama yet.

“Not exactly.” Sakura put her hand to her head.

“Does it hurt? Your head, is it hurting you again?” He asked her.

“Yes, whenever I have these thoughts or these pictures in my head it hurts. Some more than others like…” She stopped talking, her fingers pressed to her temples.

“Like someone or something doesn’t want you to remember, you said that last night.” He thought about his options and decided to just come out with it. “I have a theory I want to try.”

“A theory?” Sakura looked up at him, her left hand still at her temple.

“I want to see if the pain gets worse the more you think about whatever caused the pain in the beginning.” He explained.

“It does. I came to that conclusion on my own. Like I said , some things hurt more than others when I think of them.” She admitted.

“What were you thinking of just now, that made your head hurt?” He pushed forward.

“You and your jutsu.” She said understanding where he was going with this. “You want me to try to focus on it and see if I can remember anything don’t you. I’ve tried that before, I have also tried ignoring it when it comes to me out of nowhere and that seems to make it worse as well.” She told him.

“I think someone placed a seal on your memories and the closer you come to breaking it, the more it hurts...to protect itself.” He said bluntly. That didn’t explain why she was having the pains when she thought of him though...he would have to think about that later. Right now he wanted to focus on what was causing her the pain and why.

“I was afraid of that.” She sighed.

“You knew?” He asked her suspiciously.

“No, but I guessed. It was the most logical explanation.” She said waving her hand at him indicating that he had come to the same conclusion so why was he being so suspicious of her…

“So why haven’t you tried harder to remember?” He asked her, he didn’t understand what was holding her back, he doubted it was the pain. If it were him, he would be trying to recall every detail, every moment...didn’t she want to know?

“Part of me...doesn’t want to remember, some of the...visions and the dreams...scare me.” She said quietly. “Some of them are of a war that I don’t remember. I see people dying that I know I knew but can’t remember their names.”

He hadn’t been expecting that. “A war?” He frowned. “The third shinobi war?” He asked her.

“No one is dressed like you in my dreams of...people I know I am supposed to know.” She looked up at him. “They are all dressed like me, before I got these.” She motioned to the clothes she was wearing, the ones he had gotten her.

Tobirama stopped on the road again, her words sinking in, catching up to his analytical brain. “You mean that...you think you’re…”

“From a different time.” She nodded, finally accepting the only logical explanation to her situation that she could think of.

“...and I also think that...someone sealed my memories so I wouldn’t know how to get back or maybe I did it to myself so i wouldn’t remember something that happened, something terrible.” She added.

“...but that’s…” Tobirama paused. It wasn’t impossible, but the likelihood of it happening was…”We need to find out.” He took her hand and squeezed it.

He had said ‘we’, Sakura smiled. “Maybe, I mean...I agree but I.”

Tobirama’s head snapped to the side, then back to the road behind them. “Someone is coming...fast.” 

He knew that chakra signature, Izuna Uchiha, how had the man known he was here...why was the Uchiha on the road to Tanzaku...he looked down at Sakura who was looking up at him, her head cocked to the side taking in his unseen urgency...he had to get her out of here, fast.

“We need to leave. I’ll not risk your safety.” He picked her up, flung her over his shoulder ignoring her fists pounding him in the back, and threw his kunai with his new thunder god formula on it in front of them, flashing with her every few hundred feet.

“That will only give us a little head start. Come, we need to run.” He took off into the treeline that had previously been out of their reach, dragging her up beside him by the hand.

Sakura felt sick and dizzy. He had moved so quickly in such little time, her stomach up heaved without notice. Pulling her hand from his she stopped to vomit, wiped her mouth, then jumped to the trees after him. They didn’t stop until they reached the river.

“Wait.” He grabbed her hand to keep her from jumping to the next tree and closed his eyes in concentration. The Uchiha’s signature was fading, moving in the opposite direction. “He’s gone.”

“Who...were we..running from...and why?” Sakura had just realized how out of shape she was and growled at herself internally for not training throughout the winter. She had become complacent. That wouldn’t do.

“Izuna Uchiha. A thorn in my side since childhood. Younger brother to Madara Uchiha, the clan head of the Uchiha Clan.” Tobirama looked out over the river. “It was here that my brother Hashirama first met Madara.”

Sakura gasped, her hand flying to her head, she stumbled and fell to the ground. “Those boys.” She groaned and closed her eyes. “It was them…it was here”

Pain like fire burst in the back of her head and shot down her spine.

“Tobirama...I think I know who...ugh.” Sakura hunched over, her head felt like it was going to split open, like it was on fire and she …”I can’t see Tobi...I can’t see.” Tears slipped from her tightly closed eyes, her hands flailing in front of her face.

“I can’t...breathe.” Her chest heaved as she tried to draw in air that wouldn’t come. ‘Panic attack’, she knew it and yet she couldn’t stop it.

“Sakura.” Tobirama dropped down beside the woman. “Is it your head, is it, did you remember something?” Of course it was her head, he berated himself, he sounded like a fool.

“I want to go home, Tobi, please...I just want…” Sakura curled up into a ball, her arms tightening around her ears as she gripped the sides of her head in agony. “Bad, so bad.” She mumbled.

Tobirama picked her up again, more gently this time and carried her in his arms, into the woods and away from the river toward her cabin. “I’ll take you home Sakura. I’m here.”

“How the fucking hell…” Izuna looked into the distance where the road disappeared into the treeline. He had lost her and her companion over the rise. He had been gaining ground on them and it was as though she had sensed him and just...disappeared…”Damn it.”

“Izuna Sama, Lord Madara sent us to meet you.” Kagami Uchiha bowed low to Izuna, who was still looking at the treeline for any signs of pink.

“Izuna Sama?” Kagami called out to the man again when he didn’t move.

“I heard you Kagami.” Izuna smiled distractedly at the boy. “I just thought I saw something. Let’s go. I know Madara is interested to see how effective these new pills are.” He muttered to himself and led the way back to the Uchiha compound.

Tobirama felt Sakura relax in his arms as he walked slowly back to her cabin from the river. It seemed that when she had these episodes they not only caused her pain but drained her energy from her as well. They were quite intense and crippling in nature he realized. She had fallen asleep...he looked down at her face...he could still see the pain etched into the corners of her mouth and tightened his grip on her waist and under her legs.

How long, he wondered, how long had she endured these on her own, alone in the forest in her little cabin without anyone to help her, without anyone to turn to.

Tobirama was not an emotional man. He didn’t show his feelings the way most people showed them. He wasn’t over the top energetic and full of enthusiasm like his brother Hashirama was. He didn’t sneer and stomp around when he was angry like others did. There was no point. 

...but when he looked down at this woman’s face and saw the lines of strain and pain pulling at the soft corners of her mouth, it turned his stomach to think before him...before his brother had found her, that she had been alone for almost a year. A year of torment and solitude. It was no wonder she had been so cautious with his brother. It was no wonder she was so suspicious of everyone.

Still, she had warmed up to him and he to her. Tobirama allowed himself one small smile as he stepped into the final patch of dense tree growth just outside of Sakura's clearing, soon her little cabin would be in…”What?” The word left his mouth before he could understand what his eyes were seeing.

“Hashirama, you idiot.” Tobirama recognized his brother’s wood style jutsu…”She is going to be so pissed off when she sees this.” Tobirama looked back down at Sakura who was still asleep in his arms...thank kami. She didn’t need to deal with his moronic brother’s sense of guilt at the moment...and Tobirama knew exactly why his brother had done...this.

Tobirama tried not to shake his head at his brother’s...efforts, as he walked up the stairs of Sakura’s new engawa, adjusting the woman in his arms, he slid the door open to her...cabin... and then slid it shut again behind him.

“Good grief.” Tobirama grunted under his breath as he walked to what he assumed was a bedroom and slid the door open, only to stop and stare at the huge feather bed in the middle of the farthest wall. 

“Idiot.” he muttered as he laid Sakura down on her new bed and gently removed her boots from her feet, walking them back to the entrance and setting them in the basket by the front door.

Pulling his storage scroll from his pouch he removed the thick blanket he had purchased her and laid it over her sleeping form so she wouldn’t get cold. It would be a few more weeks before the weather warmed sufficiently enough not to need at least a light blanket when sleeping. He didn’t want her to wake from being chilled.

Having assured himself that Sakura was comfortable he moved around the bedroom taking in his brother’s handiwork. It was large...too large, she wasn’t going to like it. There was too much space he decided. Moving over to the window, he looked out into a very recognizable garden. It looked just like the one they had outside of their main house in the Senju compound. It was set up exactly the same, it even had fruit trees lining the back walls.

Tobirama rubbed a hand over his face and through his hair. His brother didn’t know the woman at all did he? ...and you do? He questioned himself. Tobirama turned from the window and looked back at the huge bed that engulfed Sakura’s tiny figure and smiled, yeah, he said to himself, I do.

Leaving Sakura to rest in her room, Tobirama walked down the hallway to the next room and began exploring the house. Bookshelves lined the walls of the next room, a desk was built into the far wall, a chair identical to the one in his brother’s office sat behind the desk. 

Tobirama shook his head. She would actually like this room, he thought as he started a mental list of books in his head she might also like to add to her shelves eventually, but she wouldn’t like that Hashirama had done it without her permission or without even telling her first..

Moving to the next room he saw a large traditional bathtub, complete with stone heating along the bottom, grill and wood stand beside it. Empty shelves lined the wall beside the bath, and bath buckets and soft clothes sat neatly on the curved stairs leading up to the two person tub. Tobirama narrowed his eyes at the obnoxiously large bathtub his brother had made her...no doubt envisioning himself in the bath with her…

Hashirama and him would have to have a talk, and soon. Tobirama sighed. He wasn’t looking forward to it, but it needed to be done. He didn’t want to put Sakura in an awkward position but it was clear something had changed between them, he wasn’t very experienced in the ways of women or relationships...never having been in one before but he was an observant man and...he had seen the way she looked at him a few times during their trip in Tanzaku...and he knew she had seen the way he had looked at her a few times. She hadn't seemed to mind him looking...and he didn’t plan on stopping.

His head rose and looked out the window. He could feel his brother’s chakra faintly making his way through the forest fast…

”let’s get this out of the way then.” Tobirama went outside to meet his brother before he could wake Sakura, she needed her rest…

Tobirama knew this was a talk he and his brother needed to have...alone.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in 4 hours, edited anyway, taking a small break.

Madara turned the small brown pill over in his palm, poking at it apprehensively. It was much smaller than the ones they were used to. It smelled nicer though he would admit. He wondered if they tasted better. Of course taste was the least of his concerns about these new soldier pills.

“It’s so small.” He looked at his brother who was sitting across the table from him, the basket of soldier pills out in front of him and the letter from the...woman, laid out beside it.

“It might be small but it has a shelf life of a year Madara, it doesn’t expire for a whole year!” Izuna still couldn’t believe it and he did believe it. He had no reason to doubt the woman. It was incredible, she was incredible.

“Are you sure you trust her? You didn’t even know her.” Madara said for the fifth time that morning. He still couldn’t believe that Izuna had commissioned the pills from a woman...a woman shinobi who claimed to be a medic.

“Kagami tested one.” Izuna laughed out loud. It had been an accident. “I didn’t say I trusted her, we were desperate. I took a chance..it worked out...really well.”

“You gave one to the boy, knowing it could be poisoned?” Madara frowned at Izuna, his brother knew better than to do such things, he never would have thought him to be so careless with the life of one of their clan members.

“Of course not brother.” Izuna was insulted. “As I said before we sat down, it was an accident. I dropped one before coming in here and Kagami, you know the kid, too curious for his own good. Grabbed it off the ground and ate it.” Izuna laughed again, it was a little funny.

“He knew what it was?” Madara asked suspiciously.

“Of course he did. The boy is a bit impulsive at times, but he isn’t an idiot. It’s his age, we were all like that at twelve.” Izuna waved the thought of poisoning Kagami away with his hand. “That’s not the point though. The point is, they work, faster and longer than the ones from Rain that we get through those Benisu Island merchants.” Izuna raised his brows at his brother.

“You said she only took half the cost that you agreed upon?” Madara still didn’t understand why the woman would do such a thing. He reached across the table and read the letter again. 

“Unbelievable.” She reminded him of Hashirama...so selfless...so unbelievably foolish and rose colored.

“She was...unusual. I admit, I’ve never met another woman like her Madara.” Izuna smiled to himself recalling the conversation he had with the woman.

Madara looked up from the letter, he didn’t like that tone of voice his brother was using. “You didn’t...Izuna did you sleep with her? Of all the stupid…”

Izuna cut him off. “I did not. She isn’t that kind of a woman. She’s...respectable and… I bet she would stab me through the heart if I even tried to touch her.” Izuna laughed. “Like I said she’s...different.”

Madara rolled the pill around in his palm and sat back in his chair considering his brother closely. He had never heard his brother speak of a woman with such...admiration. Madara thought he might like to meet this woman as well. “Call Kagami in here. I want to speak to him about these pills, since he unwittingly volunteered as our test subject.”

Izuna understood and was pleased his brother was being as opened minded about this as he was. He had purposefully left out of his letter that he had sent his brother while still in Tanzaku, that Sakura was a woman and that she would be making all of the pills that day, on the spot. Madara never would have agreed to their arrangement otherwise. 

The Uchiha was a traditional clan and while Madara respected a woman of power and strength...he hadn’t met Sakura, he hadn’t had the privilege of speaking with her to know just how intelligent and how...honest, she was.

Izuna returned shortly with Kagami who couldn’t seem to stop fidgeting. Madara glanced at his brother before rising from his seat. The boys’s chakra was spiking and dipping almost uncontrollably. Both of the brothers Uchiha could feel it swirling and snapping in the air around them.

“He took one when he didn’t need to.” Izuna began. “The old pills wouldn’t have had such a profound effect on his coils but as you can see, these pills...are nothing like the old ones Madara.” Izuna was smug. He was the one who had found her. He was the reason they had this ace in their hole for their upcoming battle against the Senju.

Madara laid his hand on top of the boy’s head and immediately removed it as chakra spiked through his palm burning his skin. 

“Incredible.” Madara murmured as he looked at Kagami who couldn’t seem to even stand still so much chakra was zipping through his system. Madara looked down at the reddened scorch marks on his palm. “So much chakra, that’s why she said not to exceed four in a twenty four hour period. Four...seems a bit much, perhaps we should advise the clan not to take more than two in a twenty four hour period.”

“Go train Kagami, uh, don’t over do it.” Izuna laughed as the boy nearly ran through the heavy door of the sitting room to expel his built up chakra.

“I agree, two should be the limit. She seemed to be basing the dosage on my chakra capacity.” Izuna assumed.

“What is her name? What clan is she from Izuna? She agreed to make these for us and she knew who you were, which one of our allies do I have to thank for these pills? We will need to send a messenger with the rest of her payment right away, we can not afford to offend her clan, not now after we know what these pills are capable of...and a medic you say? I want to meet her.” Madara was smiling, his hands flexing in his leather gloves, he was excited. This was excellent news. This might be the advantage that tips the scales for them in the coming war.

“Don’t know.” Izuna felt the disappointment in the air as the words left his mouth, then the anger as it flowed out from his brother's proximity, along the table, falling into his lap. 

“She never gave me her clan name, I assume because of the Shinobi Cree, and she left this morning before I could ask her how I could get into contact with her again, remember?” Izuna pointed to the note in his brother’s hand.

“These pills are all that we have...but at least they don’t expire for another year.” Izuna said calmly. He knew that wouldn’t be enough to placate his brother, but it was worth a try...he knew once Madara laid eyes on the woman, his chances of getting closer to her were done.

Madara stood up and immediately began to pace back and forth, a plan forming in his head. “We need to find her. Did she tell you anything? Anything at all? You said she was traveling with a man, did you get his name? Do you know what he looks like?” Madara stopped pacing and looked at his brother expectantly.

“No, never saw him.” Izuna rubbed the back of his head. He had been so pleased to find someone that knew how to make the soldier pills he hadn't wanted to push his luck with the already suspicious and reluctant woman and he told his brother as much. 

“If I had been more pushy she might not have made these for us.” He pointed to the basket of pills.

“No, you’re right Izuna...perhaps we could send a few scouts out, no we can’t spare a single man, not right now....” Madara was talking to himself out loud. “What did she look like? I could have a broad sheet drawn up of her and send it by hawk to our allies in inquiry?” He looked at his brother who was frowning.

“Well?” Madara demanded when Izuna still hadn’t answered him.

“She’s uh...well…” Izuna wasn’t sure why but he didn’t want to tell his brother what Sakura looked like, he wanted to...keep her to himself.

“Izuna.” Madara was growing more and more impatient and suspicious. Why didn’t Izuna want to tell him what the woman looked like...

“Don’t pursue her.” Izuna said flatly, raising his eyes to look his brother in the eyes.

“What?” Madara scoffed at the ridiculous request. 

“Why would I want to do that?” Sometimes his younger brother was so ridiculous over women. He sees a pretty face and his head goes right off the side of the cliff for kami’s sake…like that tramp from the Fire Palace. That had been a horrible scandal...

“Sakura is...unlike any woman I have ever met before…she is beautiful but it isn’t her beauty that attracted me it was her...well...I’m not exactly sure what it was, perhaps it was her confidence.” Izuna said quietly. 

“I wish to...find her and pursue her, for marriage.” He said seriously, his head rising to meet his brother’s eyes..

Madara sat down in his chair. His brother loved women, had always loved women. He loved them in his bed, in his hands, on his mouth but to pursue one for marriage… “Why?” Madara asked his brother just as seriously as he had declared his interest in the woman.

“She’s strong willed and cautious, beautiful and...clever Madara. She asked for half of the payment up front and left before I could pick the item up. She is kind, she told me to give the rest of the money to the poor, you read her note, and she’s skilled. I want to challenge her to a spar.” Izuna grinned.

The Clan head looked at his younger brother. He was serious. “Fine. I give you permission to...pursue her as a serious candidate for marriage providing she is not affiliated with any of our known enemies.”

Izuna smiled. “Thank you brother.”

“Now, tell me...what does your love interest look like so I can have her likeness drawn up and sent to our allies. I want to put in another order of pills, a full order this time.” Madara crossed his arms over his chest and waited, satisfied his brother would be more compliant now that he had gotten his way.

Izuna smiled, recalling Sakura’s lithe form and small hands, her tiny waist and her long beautiful hair. “She is short, but toned, not stocky in the least, lithe I would call her.”

Izuna tapped his finger against his lips in thought. “She dresses oddly, tight almost indecent pants that cover her from hip to ankle, an obnoxiously large and loud orange shirt that clashes with her hair terribly, but I doubt she will be wearing those clothes anymore. Kinsha mentioned the young woman wanted to go shopping.”

“...but the most memorable thing about her, the unmistakable thing about her is her hair.” Izuna smiled a wide genuine pleasure filled smile that irked Madara.

“It’s pink, like the Sakura blossoms for which she is named and her eyes are green, the color of the soft moss that grows in the forest. She looks like a forest nymph, a beautiful mythical creature…” Izuna hadn’t noticed his brother stiffen in his seat at his words and looked at Madara, his smile still on his face, his thoughts still on Sakura, and froze.

“Madara, what is it? Do you know her?” Izuna frowned at the insane gleam in his brother’s eye. A creeping grue climbing up his spine. Madara knew her...

“I know her...however, up until this moment...I thought she was a Tennyo.” Madara laughed maniacally. 

“Excellent.” He rose from his seat and left the room without looking back at his brother. She was real...a real woman...a kunoichi and now he had a reason, a justifiable reason to take her.

“Shit. What have I done…” Izuna got up from his chair and followed his brother out of the room quickly.

Hashirama jumped down from one of the many trees that lined Sakura’s new clearing and landed in front of his brother. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” He looked past his brother at the house. He could feel Sakura’s faint chakra signature inside, in the bedroom.

“I know about Sakura, Hashirama. Forgive me but I followed her to Tanzaku.” Tobirama bowed his head respectfully to his elder brother, whose chakra spiked throughout the clearing, making Tobirama take an involuntary step backward.

“She is asleep, please...she needs to rest. I followed her with good reason brother, let me speak...allow me to explain.” Tobirama persisted.

Hashirama looked at his brother. “You continued to follow me, after I told you not to, after I told you to go home you…” He was angry. Angry Tobirama had followed him, had seen Sakura, had clearly talked to her and spent time with her...time that should have been spent with him...and he hadn’t known, he hadn’t sensed him once.

“She wouldn’t have made it back home, Hashirama, if I hadn’t followed her.” Tobirama said quietly,Hashirama heard the truth in his brother’s voice and tried to calm down.

“What happened. This doesn’t mean I forgive you or that I will allow you to see Sakura again but tell me, for now, what happened?” Hashirama sat down on one of the benches he had made for Sakura’s new engawa.

‘You can’t stop me from seeing her again’, Tobirama thought to himself as he sat down across from his brother on the opposing bench. ‘You can’t stop her from wanting to see me again either’, he looked past Hashirama at the front door of the house.

“Her attire was spoken about in the most lude fashion Hashirama, you saw how she was dressed. Why did you not tell her to use a henge?” Tobirama said a bit more harshly than he had meant to.

“I assumed she would.” Hashirama was calming down a bit, understanding what kind of situation Sakura had put herself in, what kind of situation he had let her put herself in. “I take it by the look on your face that she didn’t.”

“No she didn’t. I stopped several men from following her back to her room at the inn brother. You never should have let her go alone. That is why I followed her. She noticed of course and waited until I showed myself, demanding I walked with her the rest of the way.” Tobirama told Hashirama, who sat in silence listening to Tobirama as he continued to explain what had happened in Tanzaku.

“I thought she would have used a henge.” He repeated himself.

“She was in terrible danger the whole time she was there Hashirama and someone was following her on the way home. I used my Hiraishin no Jutsu, to get both of us home safely. She was being followed, by Izuna Uchiha, Hashirama.”

“Izuna Uchiha? Why would he...he was following you not her.” Hashirama said accusingly.

“You don’t know that. He could have seen her in Tanzaku, he could have seen her on the road. You know as well as I do what a beautiful woman Sakura is and you know that man has a taste for beautiful women.” Tobirama nearly growled at his older brother.

“You like her.” Hashirama blinked at his brother who he had never known to take an interest in a female, in any female...ever. “Why her, why Sakura?” He almost hissed, almost whined.

Hashirama was stunned, confused and more than a little angry. This wasn’t fair. Tobirama was...he had thought that Tobi was just being nosy, that he was following because he had been skirting his duties but this was...something else.

“For the same reasons you like her, I imagine.” Tobirama sighed, this was going better than he had thought it would have, but it was still fairly uncomfortable.

“So you followed her to Tanzaku to protect her because you knew I wasn’t going.” Hashirama surmised.

“Yes.” Tobirama said evenly. “...and I got to know her, and respect her.” he added softly, his eyes trailing back to the house, past the front door as if he could see her lying in her bed.

This was serious, his brother was serious. Hashirama felt a small pain in his heart. His brother, the person he loved more than anyone else in the world...loved the same woman he did. Well, love was...no he didn’t love her but, he thought he could...would in time. He looked at Tobirama who was still looking at the door to the house. “Tobirama?”

Tobirama turned his head back to his brother. “I’m sorry.” He bit out, apologies did not sit well with him. “I didn’t mean to.”

‘I didn’t mean to’, an admission. “I...understand but…” Hashirama didn’t know what to say. “I saw her first.”

“What?” Tobirama gave his brother a disgusted look.

“I saw her first Tobi.” Hashirama said more firmly, more loudly.

“She isn’t a red bean bun! You can’t lay claim to Sakura just because you saw her first!” Tobirama actually rolled his eyes at his brother’s childish reasoning.

“I just did.” Hashirama crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his brother smugly as though that settled the matter of Sakura between them.

She could feel the blood moving like lead through her veins. With every beat of her heart a new pain pinched her internally making her shiver. Had she fainted again? Where was she...she couldn’t open her eyes. 

“Tobirama?” her voice was small and broken.

Tears slipped out of the corners of her eyes. Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, the two boys by the river. She understood now. She had yet another...damnable piece to the puzzle that was her past. The past...tears slipped down her face, pooled in the creases of her hands where she pressed them to her face.

She needed...she wanted...

She was...in the past. 

“Tobirama.” She called out again a little bit louder than the last time, her voice cracking on the last syllable of his name. Where was he? She remembered being lifted up in his arms, her head thumping on his warm chest as he ran with her to, to…”Tobi…”

No one came...she was alone again. He had left her...here wherever here was. She couldn’t stop the sobbing. She remembered, her name was Sakura Haruno. Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju were...were...the founders of Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, her village. She was a Konoha kunoichi.

...and Tobirama Senju was...was...who was he...Hashirama’s brother but…”Damn it!” Sakura grit her teeth. She was so close, she could feel it on the tip of her tongue. It was simply maddening.

Her head began to throb but she didn’t care. Who was Tobirama? Where was she and...another white haired man’s face came into her peripheral, she turned her head and saw white spiky hair, one red sharingan eye and a slight crinkle of eyes…

”Kakashi…” She moaned...

“Damn it!” She screamed. “No! Leave me alone! Damn it!”

She wanted...

“TOBIRAMA!” She cried out for her friend…

Tobirama and Hashirama’s head snapped up when they heard Sakura scream out Tobirama’s name. Tobirama jumped up from the bench and threw the door aside as he ran into the house...Hashirama’s face turned red with anger as he glared after his brother, rising slowly to his feet, and followed him inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think so far please. If you haven't left a comment yet, please do so.
> 
> Thank you for reading ~


	17. Chapter 17

Wide glistening green eyes had him catching his breath in his throat as he flung the door to her bedroom open with one swift thrust. Without hesitation, Tobirama went to her, took her in his arms and hugged her to his chest, buried his face in her tangled silken hair, and pressed her face into the fur of his collar with a hand to the back of her head. 

Sakura gripped the front of his shirt in her fists, willing the nightmare to the back of her mind. She had been dreaming again, dreaming of...him, that man who had...the war...of her friends...their bodies falling one by one beside her, leaving her alone...“Tobirama.” She whispered.

“I’m here.” He whispered to her, his head bent, his shoulders drawn up around his ears, trying to shield her from whatever had scared her. She had looked terrified when he had pushed the door to her bedroom open, her eyes glassy and wide...simply terrified, and he had reacted...involuntarily.

“Welcome home Sakura.” Hashirama bowed to the woman and he too, stepped through the door of her bedroom...the bedroom he had made for her.

Tobirama’s shoulders stiffened. He had acted...impulsively. Slowly, he let Sakura go and stood up from the bed, taking a measured step back and away from her. “Forgive me Sakura. I was concerned.”

Sakura’s eyes passed quickly from Tobirama to Hashirama who stood just inside of the bedroom door. Hashirama’s eyes were hard, his fists clenched at his side… Understanding dawned on her and she blushed. 

The corners of Hashirama’s mouth tightened when Sakura’s gaze rested too long on his younger brother, when her eyes flickered from him back to rest on Tobirama again, and again. 

“How was your trip?” Hashirama walked farther into the bedroom bowing again at the waist, his hands to his sides and waited. 

Tobirama did not deserve her attention, not like he did. He had almost felt bad, before, when speaking with his brother, but now, here in front of her, watching her watch his brother...he didn’t. All he felt was jealousy and anger but...he knew it would not endear her to him, he needed to be careful.

Sakura could feel the tension in the air, the heavy pulse of ill content between the two brothers and sighed. This wasn’t what she had wanted, but she knew it was bound to happen, if they both insisted on seeing her. It was best to get it over with and out of the way.

“Hashirama…” She began, running her fingers through her tangled hair and moving it out of her eyes...she froze, one hand still in her hair as she noticed she wasn’t in her rumpled pallet bed of her cabin. “Where, am I?”

Sakura looked around the room, it was large and the bed she was on was soft and…she looked at Hashirama who seemed to be fidgeting on his feet. Sakura narrowed her eyes at the man, turned her head and looked out the window…”What the…”

She threw her feet over the side of the bed and staggered to the window, her fingers digging into the frame, her mouth hung open as she took in the familiar yet...unfamiliar woods around her...cabin. “Am I...is this…”

Sakura whirled on her heel and ran out of the room, tripping slightly in both her haste and weariness. Once in the vast expanse of her new sitting room she came to an abrupt halt and gasped...anger flooding into her head, her nostrils flaring with indignation. She could barely make out the small platform and fire pit of her old cabin in the center of the huge room.

Tobirama looked at his brother, both of them had followed her out of her bedroom and stood in the hallway just outside of the sitting room watching her fume. “You shouldn’t have done this without her permission, or without asking her if she even wanted this...house.”

“I wanted her to have something nice.” Hashirama glared at his brother. “I wanted her to…”

“It doesn’t matter what you wanted. It was her home. What matters is what she wants, Hashirama.” Tobirama watched Sakura slide the front door open and walk outside.

“You think you know her? ” Hashirama challenged his brother.

“Yes.” Tobirama knew he did. He also knew his brother. “I know why you did this. You feel guilty.”

Hashirama stood up to his full height and looked at his brother thoughtfully, anger still hung on the corners of his eyes, but a small little light turned on in the back of his head. “So, you were watching me the whole time. Yes, I felt guilty, so I...thought I would surprise her. She had so little Tobi.” He was starting to calm down a little.

Tobirama nodded. He understood. He had done something similar but not...quite the same. He had bought her a blanket, some clothes and some...other things but what his brother had done was different. “You insult her though Hashirama. By doing this, you are telling her she wasn’t capable of taking care of herself, that what she had before you came...wasn’t good enough.”

Tobirama didn’t understand how his brother couldn’t see that. “Sakura is a strong woman.” He said simply.

Hashirama was listening to his brother, he was. He hadn’t thought of her situation like that he...had only thought of his guilt and his desire to take care of her. He had seen what she had been living like and had wanted to give her more. “I didn’t think about that...I didn’t take her pride into consideration.” He said to himself but Tobirama nodded.

“I just wanted to help her, Tobi.” Hashirama grimaced at his brother.

Tobirama sighed. “I know. Maybe, you should talk to her.” He ran a hand over his face, he couldn’t believe his brother sometimes, he meant well but this was…”I’ll go, so you can talk. I’ll see you back at the compound.”

Sakura knew he was behind her, watching her fume, stomp and swat angrily at the flowers in the garden Hashirama had made her.

“He means well Sakura.” Tobirama said, joining her in the middle of the garden when her shoulders stiffened.

“What the hell was he thinking to do something like this, I don’t need this, it’s too...too much!” Sakura threw her hands up in the air.

“He did it because you had so little.” He raised his hand when she opened her mouth to tell him she was just fine with what she had before his brother’s interference. “I know you didn’t want this, asked for it or needed it.”

“Hashirama wasn’t trying to insult you, he doesn’t think sometimes, sometimes he just acts. He thinks with his heart.” He told her. “He may have gone a bit overboard.” Tobirama looked at the line of fruit and nut trees lining the back wall of her garden.

“A bit?” Sakura was still angry, but the left side of her mouth twitched with humor.

“Just a bit.” Tobirama smiled at her, ducking his head to look her in the eye. “Let him explain himself. I need to go, there are things I must attend to but I will come back to visit you if you like?” He left the question open for her to decide when she would like to see him again.

“Ah, yes. I would like that, perhaps in a few days?” She asked him, turning her head left and right, indicating she would need time to adjust to her new...surroundings.

“Of course.” He started to walk away from her but turned back and said slowly, “If I am unable to make it, I will send you word via summons.” Tobirama bowed correctly, turned and walked away from her, into the woods.

Sakura smiled and watched him walk away.

Hashirama sat on the steps leading up to the house by the garden and watched Sakura watch his brother leave. He felt...conflicted. He loved his brother but...Sakura was...his, and he didn’t want to share her with anyone, not even Tobirama. He wasn’t sure how to handle this.

“So, you and Tobi seem to be getting along rather well.” he said to her when she sat down beside him on the steps.

“Your brother is an interesting man.” Sakura chose her words carefully. She could tell Hashirama was trying to act casual and she didn’t wish to impune his efforts. “We are friends Hashirama, like you and I are.”

“Friends. Yes, we’re friends.” He smiled a little too widely, a bit too brightly , he rubbed the back of his head anxiously. “I’m sorry about the house Sakura I didn’t mean to...upset you.”

Sakura sighed, ignoring the curling in her stomach at his gesture. ‘Naruto used to do that’, she realized why it bothered her so much.

“I know but Hashirama, you can’t...I mean...I liked my old cabin. It was small, it was empty but it was mine.” She looked up at him from her smaller height and tried to smile at him reassuringly.

“I felt bad for...for kissing you and wanted to show you I care. That it wasn’t about the rabbits.” he said in a hurry.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Men…

“So you did more? So you made a house too big for only me, brought me chickens...made me a garden?” She nodded to the beautiful garden in front of them. “When i already told you that one rabbit and a couple of pieces of furniture wouldn’t make me fall all over you?” She was starting to get upset again and her voice was rising.

“I’m sorry.” Hashirama looked so defeated she took pity on him.

“I know.” She looked out over the garden. It was beautiful. She noticed the table and chairs, the walkway...he really had tried hard to make her a beautiful home.

“I’ll make us some tea.” Sakura sighed, rose from her seat and walked back into the house. Hashirama followed her, still apologizing and explaining to her why he had done what he had done and that he wouldn’t do it again.

“I understand.” She turned with two hot cups of tea in her hand after he had said he was sorry for the sixth time. “However. You have to understand boundaries.”

He nodded. “You look nice.” He smiled, making an obvious attempt to change the subject.

Sakura patted down her boy shirt and pants. “I like them.”

“You didn’t want kunoichi clothes?” He asked curiously.

“I didn’t know there was such a thing, here.” She replied honestly.

Hashirama nodded. “My cousin was a kunoichi, before she died in the last battle with the Uchiha. She had them made for herself, had to. There aren’t many kunoichi.” He watched her face as she took in his words. She frowned at the mention of the Uchiha.

“So, you’re still at war with them then, that’s why Tobirama didn’t want to meet Izuna Uchiha on the road back from Tanzaku.” Sakura bit her bottom lip and chewed it gently between her two front teeth. “Is it that bad still? The war between your clan and the Uchiha?” She asked him cautiously.

“It is.” Hashirama wondered what she was thinking, her brow was furrowed now, pain etched around her mouth as she continued to bite her bottom lip. He swore he could almost see the thoughts racing through her mind. She was thinking so furiously.

“Why?” She asked him, her head beginning to hurt again. “Why are you still fighting?”

Hashirama looked down at his hands in his lap. “I’m not even sure anymore.”

“Well, then what about...peace?” She almost whispered, her head beginning to throb in tune with her heart again. “Aren’t you sick of the fighting?”

“I’ve tried but Madara, he’s…” Hashirama grabbed her wrist as she leaned forward, her hands to the side of her head. “Sakura?”

“I’m fine.” She rose to her feet, his hand falling from her wrist. “I need to, lay down. I’m sorry.”

Sakura stumbled from the kitchen to the bedroom, sliding the door open and crumbling down onto the bed.

Hashirama followed her into her room. “Can I get you some water? Something to eat or…” He didn’t know what to do, her episodes seemed to be getting worse. Before her trip to Tanzaku she would merely stumble or her eyes would become unfocused, seeing things that only she could see, but this...this was different. She seemed like she was in pain, a lot of pain and he didn’t know how to help her.

“No, thank you. I think I just need to rest Hashirama, I’m sorry. We can talk more later okay?” Sakura lay back onto the bed and closed her eyes. “Thank you for the house Hashi.” She said quietly, one eye cracked open to look at him, her hands still holding her head as she lay on her back.

“The garden is beautiful but Hashi...please, don’t do this again.” She tried to smile at him. “At least, without talking to me first.”

“I promise Sakura.” He paused in the door, clearly it was time for him to leave but he was hesitant to leave her alone while she was in pain. “I’ll seal your home before I go. You know how to undo the basic protection seals right?” He asked her.

She nodded, then winced as the movement jared her head. “I will cast a genjutsu over the house after you leave, don’t worry I’ll be fine.” She smiled quickly for courtesy's sake, then closed her eyes again.

“I’ll see you soon. Welcome home Sakura.” Hashirama walked over to the bed laying a gentle hand on her shoulder in farewell. “If you need me, smoke your fire.” He added before walking out the door and sealing her home as he had promised.

Sakura heard the door slide shut, heard the front door slide open, then shut and relaxed into her bed as she felt the protection seals fall over her home. With only the barest of effort she raised her hands from her head and made the signs for her genjutsu over her chest. Cold air fell around her as her genjutsu settled over the house and into her room. 

Sakura reached for the deep royal blue blanket that Tobirama had given her and fell asleep, blissfully unaware of the two faint chakra signatures running toward her. Hashirama’s signature faded from the woods, the closer he got to the Senju compound, on the other side of her forest.

Izuna broke through the treeline after Madara, his mouth dropping open as he took in the house and garden before him. “Brother, what is this place? I never knew this was here.”

“That’s because it wasn’t here before. It was a small pathetic run down cabin before, forgotten over the years of war and famine, until she came...and then he came.” Madara’s last words were cold.

Izuna looked around the clearing taking in the small waterway that wound around the trees off to the side of the house, the engawa that wrapped around the home with benches spaced out by each stair that led out into the clearing or garden. 

“Until who came?” Izuna asked his brother. 

“Hashirama.” Madara growled, his sharingan glowing as he stared at the home. “I can feel his chakra and...that’s his jutsu, his wood style.” Madara nodded to the house before them.

Izuna’s blood surged through his veins. He had followed his brother under the impression that he knew where Sakura lived. He hadn’t expected to follow him to a beautiful house in the woods, or that the house had been made by one Hashirama Senju. “So...Sakura she...is a Senju?”

“She must be.” Madara made the hand signs to break through her protection barriers...Hashirama’s protection barriers. He growled low in his throat. “Or under their protection.”

“Why would she agree to make the pills for me then? She knew I was an Uchiha when I asked her for them.” Izuna didn’t understand, this didn’t make sense but his brother wasn’t listening to him.

As soon as the barriers were down, they could see the genjutsu with their sharingan. Izuna was surprised.

“Madara.” Izuna stared at the house. “This genjutsu.” He turned to look at his brother.

Madara was smiling, a dervish sort of evil smile. “Hashirama doesn’t know this kind of genjutsu. It must be the woman.”

Izuna looked back at the house, his sharingan spinning in his eyes. “...but...isn’t that an...Uchiha genjutsu?” Izuna didn’t understand. How could the woman, if this was truly her home, know an Uchiha clan taught genjutsu?

“You said she was a skilled kunoichi Izuna. Let’s find out just how skilled she really is.” Madara made the hand signs, broke through the woman’s genjutsu, walked up to the front door and slid the door open.

‘Tennyo…’, He cooed to himself inside his head. ‘I’m coming for you’, Madara stepped into the house, Izuna close behind him...a wary look in his eye...this was not what he had been expecting. Sakura would not like them entering her home like this.

“Madara, perhaps we should knock or announce ourselves, this is very…” Izuna began, turned his head to the door, then leapt off to the side as a flurry of kunai erupted from the bedroom door, shredded rice paper filled the room and flew through the air like snow.

Izuna marveled at the sudden beauty of the pure white paper fluttering around him, ‘Genjutsu?’. The thought had just started to form in the back of his head when... a flurry of pink clouded his vision, he was knocked back against a solid wall, with a kunai pressed cold and sharp against his throat.

“Izuna San. What the fuck are you doing in my home? I told you, I didn’t want the other half of the money.” Sakura’s breath was hot as she spoke against the side of his neck while she held him to her chest, her eyes on his older brother. 

“...Madara Uchiha...I would recognize those spiky inky locks anywhere.” Sakura swallowed hard. She was in a horribly dangerous position. It was one of her more terrifying nightmares...come true. The ones she had always hoped, hadn’t been real...

“You know me?” Madara grinned at the woman, she was even more beautiful up close, more beautiful than she had ever been in his dreams when he had woken suddenly in the night, his hand on his cock aching with want.

“Only in my nightmares.” She whispered so that only Izuna had heard her. “Am I dreaming...or am I awake.” She wasn’t sure, but now was not the time to think of that...just in case, this was as real as it felt like it was.

Izuna could feel the heat of her skin through her clothing. Was she ill?

“Sakura, please, we mean you no harm.” He began, but his brother began to laugh, ruining any attempt he might have made to calm the woman.

“We will not harm you.” Madara took a step closer to the woman. “Unless you refuse to answer my questions.”

Sakura pulled Izuna closer to her body, adjusting her grip on his arm that she had bent up behind his back, fitting it more comfortably against her chest, her other hand pressing the kunai to his throat...a small trickle of blood seeped out from the shallow cut and soaked into the collar of his shirt.

“I don’t believe you.” She hissed, her mind whirling in her head, her head throbbing behind her ears. Her breath hitched and she nearly choked.

Izuan could feel her chest heaving, could feel her grip loosening around his wrist. “Sakura, please, we only want to talk...are you...unwell?”

She could hear the genuine concern in his voice. “I don’t want to hurt you. Tell him to leave, to back down.” She nearly pleaded. Izuna wasn’t bad, she didn’t think he wanted to hurt her but...his brother...

Shit, she grit her teeth. Izuna knew of her...weakness, he knew...he could feel the tension in her body she knew he must…”I’m fine.” She said with much more confidence than she felt, her eyes locking with Madara’s.

Madara watched the woman, something wasn’t quite right with her, he could see the small dew of perspiration pop up along her brow, a trickle of sweat slip down the side of her cheek from her temple. His grin broadened, she was fevered. She was ill...she was his.

Sakura’s eyes went wide as Madara darted forward, his hand reaching out for her throat...she let go of Izuna’s wrist and shoved him forward toward his brother with all her might, dropped to the ground and rolled under both of their legs, popping up behind them and ran for the door.

“Sakura wait!” Izuna called out after her but she wasn’t listening. Why the hell would she, she wasn't running from him...

“Madara stop!” Izuna called after his brother, who ran after the woman, and out into the clearing, pulling wire from his belt and wrapping it around a kunai.

“Stop brother! Please!” Izuna yelled as Madara drew his arm back, snapped his wrist and sent his kunai flying.

Sakura fell to the ground in a tangle of wire and dirt. Spitting grass and dirt from her mouth she rolled over to tug at the wire around her feet. She felt the heat without having to even look up. She had anticipated it. ‘Substitution jutsu’, she wove the hand signs in a frantic display while swiftly changing hand signs into an earth style jutsu without pause and disappeared.

“Brother what the fuck, stop! I thought you wanted her alive!” Izuna was horrified. He ran to Sakura, noticing her substitution jutsu too late, too late to stop his brother's fireball as it encased him.

Izuna fell to the ground coughing.

“Izuna!” Madara dropped down beside his brother. “What the hell were you thinking?” He demanded.

“Stop attacking her! She isn’t a Senju, she can’t be, I just know it.” Izuna gagged, a bit of charred spit dripping out of the corner of his mouth.

Neither one of them saw the gift she had left them, buried deep within the earth, until it went off...Madara’s wire that he had used to trip her shot out of the earth...on the end, his kunai…

“No!” Sakura screamed from her hiding place in the trees above. She hadn’t meant it for Izuna, she hadn’t expected him to jump in front of his brother’s fireball, to protect her...

Izuna’s whole body jerked with the impact as Madara’s weighted kunai stabbed him in the chest, passing through his body with the strength of Sakura's chakra infused ninja trap, and fell to the ground coughing up blood.


	18. Chapter 18

Visions of another man with a face and hair like Izuna’s filled her head. Visions of another time and place. 

Her head was spinning, her eyes rolled into the back of her head...and she fell, from the tree and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap at Madara’s feet, as Izuna began choking on his own blood, filling his lungs a little at a time.

‘Kill her’, a voice filled his head. Madara took one step toward the woman then another.

“Izuna!” Sakura tried to rise but Madara was beside her holding her in place. Preventing her from going to Izuna.

“I can heal him!” She cried out, her fingers clawing at his arm around her waist. “I can heal him!” She insisted, her eyes pleading with Madara’s as he continued to hold her back His eyes hateful, glowing red, wary to trust her to do what she said.

“Brother, please.” Izuna’s lips were turning blue, he turned his head, his eyes locking onto Sakura’s. “Sakura, I’m sorry he...

Madara, bent his head to hiss into her ear, “If he dies...so do you, Tennyo.” He lifted his arm from her waist and shoved her with both hands on her shoulders at his brother. “Heal him, if you can.”

Sakura fell forward, scrambled to Izuna’s side and immediately placed glowing green hands over his chest. “It’s going to be okay Izuna. I’m a medic nin remember?” 

She tried to smile at him, she knew that a smile could soothe even the deepest wounds sometimes. Izuna smiled back at her, his lips quivering, she could tell he was in a lot of pain.

“If I had known all I had to do to get you to put your hands on me was let you stab me through the chest, I would have let you stab me back in Tanzaku.” Blood dripped out of the corner of his mouth, he grimaced at the pain, and coughed up more blood.

“Try not to talk. Your lung has been punctured. I’m sealing the entry point and closing the casing of your lung but...I will need to cut the wire and pull it from your body.” Sakura gathered the end of the wire in front of her and snapped it between two chakra infused fingers.

“Ready Izuna?” She looked down into his dark eyes. Sasuke’s eyes.

“Do it, beautiful.” He hissed and clenched his teeth as she ripped the wire from his body, lifted him to a sitting position with the other hand and pulled the other half out of his back.

“Shit.” Izuna cracked an eye open and looked up at her. “Honey moon’s over huh?” He tried to smile again but failed miserably, his fists clenching the fabric of his shirt on the sides.

“Stay still.” She pressed him flat with both of her hands on his shoulders and infused her palms with chakra once more and moved them over his chest. “Flirt.” She added, making him smile at her again.

Madara stood next to her as she worked, his arms crossed over his chest, watching every twitch of her mouth, every flicker of her eye and every finger as she moved them over his younger brother. Silently.

Sakura could feel his anger, his ill intent and...something more, his...concern and worry for his brother but...Sakura turned her head from Izuna and looked up at the man behind her. His eyes met hers, red and daring. “I can feel something evil in you.” She said clearly, precisely.

Madara didn’t reply, but his eyes narrowed at her. “Tend to my brother Tennyo.” 

Sakura continued to look at him, but turned when Izuna lifted his hand and pulled gently on her sleeve. Drawing her attention away from his brother.

“I can feel it, your chakra is...it’s warm and cool at the same time it’s...so strange.” Izuna had his eyes closed, his head in the dirt, a small smile on his face.

“I’m not going to heal you completely, but I will make sure your lungs are free of blood and that you’re stable.” Sakura told him, her hands moving from his chest to his shoulders to help him sit up. “I need to heal the exit point now.”

Madara stepped forward, bent over at the waist, “Why won’t you heal him completely?” He demanded. Was she doing this because of him, because he had...he didn’t understand it, ever since he had seen her by the river...he hadn’t been able to get her out of his head. He had acted on impulse he knew but...

“It isn’t good for him to be healed completely.” Sakura looked up, once again meeting his eyes.

She moved one hand to brace Izuna and ran the other one over the open bleeding wound of his back where the kunai had passed through his body. 

“His lungs were only grazed on one side, enough to cause internal bleeding, the rest is typical tissue damage. I have regenerated the tissue and repaired the tears through his muscle. The rest will heal in it’s own with time.”

Sakura let the healing chakra fizzle out of her hand and allowed Izuna to sit up on his own. She sat back on the heels of her feet and looked up at Madara who was looking intently at his brother.

“Izuna, how do you feel?” Madara knelt down in the dirt beside his younger brother and pulled the flaps of his shirt aside so he could look at the wound. “There’s...no scar, nothing ...no indication he was hurt at all.”

Madara spun on his knee and looked at the pink haired woman who had remained beside them while he had looked over his brother’s wounds. She didn’t move or look away. He could feel an energy building inside him as he continued to look at her.

Izuna ran his hand lightly over his chest. “It’s tender and sore. I can still feel the pain inside, internally where your kunai ripped through my chest but it’s nothing compared to what it was. This is...amazing Sakura.” Izuna looked at Sakura but she wasn’t looking at him, she was looking at Madara and Madara was looking at her.

“Are you not afraid of the sharingan?” Madara asked her more curious the longer she held his gaze.

“No.” Sakura was not afraid of the sharingan, but she was afraid of...Madara Uchiha. She might not understand all of her visions, she might see them as half truths part of a fragmented reality, but she knew power when she saw it, when she felt it...

Madara continued to look at the woman who refused to look away, who continued to meet his eyes bravely...foolishly. “Who are you?” He asked her, voice calm, nothing like the demanding overbearing monster he had been before.

“The medic who saved your brother’s life.” His personality seemed to shift like ripples in water. He was unstable, she needed to distance herself from him. Sakura stood up quickly, but not quickly enough.

‘Take her’, a voice hissed in his head. ‘Your brother is healed, eliminate her’, it cooed.

Madara pinned her to the closest tree, her back up against the hard grain of bark, her neck bent to the side, the same kunai that had cut through Izuna held to her neck by a steady hand, his other hand in her hair, holding her head in place.

“Who are you?” He hissed in her ear, his breath hot and heavy against her skin making it crawl and twitch.

“I am no one.” She replied, her head aching.

Madara could feel the heat radiating from her body, could see the shine of perspiration on her face, her neck…”You’re ill.” He said rather plainly, without heat or satisfaction.

Izuna stood up, walked to them slowly, a hand to his chest. “Brother, please she did just save my life.” His eyes watched Sakura. He knew she was trying to stay conscious, he could see the telling signs in her eyes, the way her eyelids fluttered, like they had in the tavern when she had passed out.

“Your life would not have needed saving if she hadn’t set that trap.” Madara leaned forward, pressing the kunai into her skin. “If you will not tell me who you are, tell me...what is your connection to the Senju Clan?”

“They are associates. Like your brother, and your brother would not be injured if you hadn’t attacked me.” Sakura told him calmly, remaining still under his grasping hand, trying to push past the throbbing in her head to remain aware. She took a deep breath, she needed to end this soon...“Let go of me Uchiha or so help me…”

She could feel her head shutting down, she needed to act quickly.

Madara chuckled. “What will you do? Tell me Tennyo.” He purred in her ear.

‘Kill her’, the voice was there again, ordering him in his head. I am Madara Uchiha, I take orders from no man, Madara fought back against the voice in his mind. A soft chuckle, ‘I am no man’, the voice snickered wickedly,

“Brother. Stop.” Izuna’s voice was hard. Madara shook his head. “She doesn’t deserve to be treated like this. She is not our enemy, why are you treating her like one?”

A surge or hatred, a pulse of dense chakra passed from Madara to Sakura. ‘She is the enemy, more than the Senju’, that damned voice again. Madara frowned...this hatred he was feeling, it wasn’t...his, he didn’t hate the Tennyo, he wanted to...he wanted her. He wanted to...not to hurt her but to...Madara shook his head trying to rid himself of this distraction. He focused his attention back tot he woman.

“What?” Sakura closed her eyes in pain as Madara’s chakra surged through her body...as pictures swirled through her mind. Rows upon rows of green haired men with white bodies flooded her vision. She could feel its hatred for her on her skin, in her blood, on her tongue...the taste was foul and bitter...choking.

Izuna and Madara starred as her eyes went blank, unfocused.

“No.” The word escaped her lips on a breath as the gruesome pictures flickered out before her eyes. Thousands lay dead and dying, bleeding out on the dirt, the sand and the water. Limbs strewn about, ripped off, torn to shreds.

“Zetsu.” She cringed as yellow eyes flashed before her. ‘I see you’, a voice sang in her head. ‘ can hear you’, it came again. “Get out of my head!” Sakura clasped her hands to the sides of her head and groaned a deep throaty growling noise.

Madara could hear amused laughter in his head, his hands fell from the woman and she slumped forward against his chest. “What is this?” Madara held her up with one hand, the other to his head.

“Madara?” Izuna looked from Sakura to his brother.

“Who are you?” Madara demanded, his hands to his head...the laughter continued echoing painfully in his head…

Sakura’s eyes rolled back up into her head.

Madara stumbled backward, letting go of Sakura who fell to the ground unconscious, no longer supported by his weight against her. Izuna stepped forward, grabbing his brother under the arms before he could fall.

“Well shit.” Izuna sat on the ground hard, carried down by his brother’s weight. “At least he didn’t kill her.” He mumbled crawling out from under his brother and panting against the side of the tree.

_“Time is irrelevant.” Kakashi eye crinkled at her from across the room where he was laying on her couch reading while she worked._

_“Huh?” Sakura looked up from one of the many scrolls spread out over her kitchen table in her apartment._

_“You were muttering about Naruto’s seals.” Kakashi rose from the couch coming over to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, and kissing her lightly on top of the head._

_“It’s confusing. He brought back so many. I don’t know how I’m going to get through them all, much less write up a report for each one, it’s going to take years, decades even.” She frowned at the scroll in her hand._

_“That’s what I mean, time is irrelevant. No one expects you to complete this mission quickly, that’s why Naruto gave you an open ended completion date.” Kakashi moved her hair to the side and kissed her neck suggestively. “Why don’t you take a break...to refocus..on your task.”_

_His hands slid down to settle on her hips._

_“Kakashi.” Sakura began, annoyed he was interrupting her._

_“Sakura.” He bent his knees, rocking against her back suggestively. “Take a break, for just...oh...a half hour maybe?”_

_“Just a half hour?” Sakura laughed, turning around to face him properly, pushing the thought of thousands of scrolls she had yet to read._

_“Or an hour…” His lips met hers halfway, his fingers pulling at the button of her pants. “Or two…”_

Sakura moaned in her sleep, rolling over to pull her pillow up against her chest and sighed. Izuna watched her from a nearby chair, his eyes moving over her body...was she dreaming of...he shook his head, he needed to focus. He looked at the other figure in the room, on the makeshift pallet on the floor across the room from Sakura where he had laid his brother down to rest.

_“Indra, some of the men have been talking and uh, well…” A boy with brown hair stood behind him._

_“What is it Asura?” Indra turned to look at his brother._

_“They say you’re too strict, that you’ve changed.” His younger brother began hesitantly seeing the slight clenching of Indra's jaw._

_“They need more training, they are weak.” Indra said simply, turning his back again and walking away._

_“They aren't weak. You expect too much.” Asura rubbed his hand through his hair and down the back of his neck. “Not everyone is as good as you are, as talented.”_

Madara’s fingers twitched in his sleep.

_“I think it’s a time sealing jutsu.” Sakura explained her latest hunch to Naruto as she thumbed through her personal notes on the scrolls he had recovered from The Land of Eddies._

_“Time sealing?” Naruto came closer to the table to look down at the papers she was holding._

_“Yeah, you know like uh...to seal someone in a different time.” Sakura pulled out one of the smaller papers from her stack and handed it to Naruto. “See? This is an earlier form of Tobirama Sama’s formula. I think that the Uzumaki had already started to come up with their own Flying Thunder kami technique but uh, you know didn’t finish it before they were attacked and scattered across the known world. ...and this, was a mistake, while they were trying to make a way to travel from point A to point B faster.”_

_She handed him another paper with notes and formulas on it. ”See, the seal is just a changed formula, much like a change in chakra nature only with a seal.”_

_“Wow Sakura, you’re so smart. This is incredible.” Naruto grinned at his friend._

_“Pity.”_

_Sakura and Naruto turned to look at Sasuke who had been standing in the door of her office watching them silently until then. Sakura’s smile slipped from her face._

_Sakura narrowed her eyes at the Uchiha. “What do you know of pity Sasuke?”_

_A slow smile formed on the corners of his beautiful mouth. “Nothing...Sakura.”_

_“So, about the scroll, do you know how it works, Sakura?” Naruto glanced between his two friends._

_The tension between them after the war had only seemed to grow. For a short time he had thought they had forgiven one another and forgotten but...as time went on...during Sasuke’s trial...it had only gotten worse, so much worse._

_“Not yet, not exactly.” Sakura focused back on the papers in front of her. “I know that it requires an immense amount of chakra though, an almost unheard of amount or...or um a…” She tapped her finger against her lips looking for the right word. “A conduit?”_

_“Conduit?” Naruto looked confused._

_“For chakra.” She clarified. “So that it can be controlled and contained, guided.” She clarified._

_“Of course yeah yeah.” Naruto still looked confused. “I know you can figure it out, hey let’s have dinner tonight okay? All three of us?” He looked from Sasuke to Sakura._

_“Sure.” Sakura said absentmindedly, her attention focused on her notes as she waved her hand at him in agreement._

_“Great, let’s meet up at Ichiraku later, say around 6pm okay?” Naruto smiled at Sasuke who nodded._

_“Right.” Naruto looked back and Sakura once more before walking to the door. “See you later then.”_

_“Sakura.” Sasuke walked into the room, coming up behind her, laying his hands on her shoulders._

_“Hum?” Sakura continued to look down at the papers in her hands. “What are you doing?” She shrugged his hands off of her shoulders, leaning forward to pick up a scroll and unfurled it on the table, laying it over several others she had open._

_“I want to talk to you. About, us.” He said, placing his hands back on her shoulders._

_Sakura stepped away from him to the other side of her desk. “There is no us Sasuke. There never was, remember?” She gave him a hard look. “I have a lot of work to do, I’ll see you later for dinner with Naruto.”_

_She looked back down at her desk, turning the scroll around and began to read, ignoring him._

_“Hn.” Sasuke stood there for a few more minutes, his fists clenched at his sides._

_She had been doing this since his return. At first he thought she was just angry, like everyone else, grieving, like the others, like the world over the last war but...she didn’t change, at least, not with him...and only him._

_It infuriated him. Where was the love sick girl that used to follow him around everywhere, where was the girl who would blush and fidget at his close proximity...where was ‘his’ Sakura now? Did she die in the war? Had he pushed her away so far that she was never coming back? Was this his fault?_

_No. It was that man’s fault. The man that was supposed to be both friend and mentor. Sasuke walked out of her office. That man...the one who talked of bonds and friendship, loyalties, the village...honor...Kakashi Hatake._

There had to be a way to salvage this situation. Sakura has said that the Senju were an associate, not allies, not friends. She had said, ‘Like you are’, were they not more than just associates? No, they hardly knew one another. Izuna felt both pleased to know that meant the Senju hardly knew her but also disappointed, he wanted to know her better, more than an associate. If his brother would only listen, instead of getting angry, instead of acting impulsively.

Izuna rested his head against his palm and braced his elbow on the arm of the chair he was sitting in. His brother never used to be like this. Madara used to be relatively calm, careful and thoughtful. The last few years though, had been taxing on all of them...the entire clan but mostly on his older brother.

Madara had become more withdrawn, only speaking to Izuna, only training with Izuna...often locking himself in his rooms away from the other clan members. His brother had changed and he wasn’t sure why. At first the change had been gradual...but today...Madara hadn’t even listened to him, hadn’t even heard his pleas. It was so unlike Madara...he always listened to him, even in the heat of battle.

It was clear to Izuna, Madara, was not himself.

Izuna watched his brother while he slept, wondering if he would sleep as long as Sakura…wondering what the hell would happen when one or both of them woke up. Izuna sighed...this is not how he wanted Madara to meet the woman, nor her to meet his older brother.

He never imagined Madara would know where Sakura lived.

Izuna sat up straight in his chair. How had his brother known where she lived. Izuna remembered Madara’s face when they had stepped into the clearing. His brother had been to her home before...he would have to ask him when he woke. Madara had called Sakura a Tennyo...why?

She was beautiful, Izuna could understand the reference but...Madara moved again in his sleep drawing Izuna’s eye.

_“Asura will be my successor.” His father’s words reverberated through his head._

_He was shocked at their father’s decision to choose Asura over him...he was stronger, wiser...more deserving of the title than his brother. What had his father been thinking?_

_“I will not bow down to Asura. I will make something new with my own power, something greater.” Indra told the trees in the forest as he walked away from his birth place, away from his father and his brother. “I will return one day and show them the flaw of their being. Ninshu will be no more. It is flawed. Like their admiration.”_

_“Yes.” A voice cooed encouragingly in the back of his mind. “Yes, show them how powerful you are. Hate them for their weaknesses, for choosing your brother over you, when you are clearly the better choice.”_

_Indra nodded. “First, there is something I must do.”_

_Laughter filled his head, a gleeful sickening sound. ‘Kill them’, it hissed, ‘only then will you awaken your true power’._

_Moments later, Indra looked down dispassionately at the two corpses of his two most loyal friends and followers, his eyes spinning and glowing red as power surged through his heightened coils. “It is time.”_

The same gleeful laughter filled Madara’s head as he slept a fitful slumber. Izuna, mere feet from his brother blissfully unaware of his brother’s inner turmoil.

Izuna rose from his chair and opened the window closest to Sakura’s bed. The temperature was rising with the sun. It must be near noon, Izuna thought as he looked out over the woods beyond the clearing. A gentle breeze flowed into the room, pushing his bangs back from his forehead, moving across the room to the bed where Sakura lay.

_“Naruto forgave me Sakura, why won’t you?” Sasuke was leaning up against the door to her apartment after walking her home from Ichiraku at his own insistence._

_“Naruto says he forgave you, is trying to pretend you didn’t try to kill him or do any of the horrible things you did to us, to the world. I will never forget...but I have forgiven you, or we wouldn’t be standing here now.” She tried to push past him but he grabbed her wrist and twisted it up over her head._

_She slammed her other fist into the side of his face making him stagger, but his hold on her only tightened. His one eyes spun red, the other glowed a faint purple...the rinnegan. Sasuke slammed her up against her door and pressed his body against hers. “Sakura stop. I just want to talk.”_

_“Get off of me Sasuke or I’ll punch you into next week.” Sakura infused her left fist with chakra._

_“Am I interrupting?” Kakashi asked casually, his shoulders slumped forward, his eyes on the open book in front of him._

_“Yes.” Sasuke turned his red eye to their former sensei._

_“Am I?” Kakashi’s eye found Sakura’s._

_“Not at all, Sasuke was just leaving.” Sakura pushed the Uchiha off of her with a bit of chakra, opened her door, then closed it after slipping inside and away._

_“Still trying to protect her, I see.” Sasuke sneered at the older man._

_“Sakura doesn’t need my protection. I was protecting you, from her.” Kakashi turned a page of his icha icha._

_“Hmph.” Sasuke grunted then laughed, an eerie sound. “I don’t need your protection. I never have...sensei…” Sasuke spit out his last word sarcastically._

_“Sakura isn’t the girl you left behind those many years ago Sasuke. She is a woman now, a strong, powerful woman. I would be careful if I were you.” Kakashi closed his book with a snap. “There are others that see in her the things you have spent the last decade ignoring.”_

_Sasuke scoffed as Kakashi disappeared in a plume of smoke and walked down the stairs of Sakura’s apartment building, alone._

_Sakura pushed off from the inside of her door where she had been listening to their conversation, a small smile on her lips._


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would just like to take a moment and thank all of the people who take time out of their day to read my writing. I have gotten such an overwhelmingly wonderful response from this fic, a fic I almost didn't write because I didn't think anyone would find it interesting but me, I have never been more flattered.
> 
> Thank you for your comments and enthusiasm. Sorry if my comments aren't very profound or thought provoking in response. Sometimes, I just don't know what to say, but am no less grateful for the line.

Sakura woke up with a start. “Sasuke. Kakashi.” She sat up in her bed and looked around her room. It was evening now, she could see the faint rays of sunlight streaming into her bedroom, low, creeping along the wooden floor to…a bundle on the floor of her room.

“Madara Uchiha.” Sakura narrowed her eyes as they fell over the man who had attacked her. Why had he attacked her? Her head turned to the other man in her room. “Izuna.”

“Sakura.” Izuna rose from a chair on the far wall and walked to her slowly, his hands out in front of him, a look of sincere concern on his handsome face.

Sakura studied his face and saw all the features of his resemblance that she hadn’t noticed before, hadn’t been able to notice before her dream had reminded her. He looks just like Sasuke, Sakura leaned back against her pillows and watched him come closer. He even moves like him, she thought, taking in the smoothness of his stride, his confident tilt to his head, the twist of his lips...no, that was different. While Sasuke smirked...Izuna smiled.

“Please Sakura,” Izuna began. “I want to apologize for my brother, he…we didn’t come here to harm you. We came to ask you to make more soldier pills for us but when my brother saw your home...he became enraged, he recognized the Senju’s jutsu and.... He thought you were...a Senju or perhaps a spy for them.” What could he possibly say, how could he possibly begin to ask her to forgive his brother for attacking her in her own home…it didn’t matter why Madara had attacked her, she was never going to forgive them…

He tried to remind himself that Sakura, wasn’t like most women, perhaps if he just reasoned with her, told her the truth, she would understand.

“He’s insane.” Sakura raised a pink brow at Izuna who laughed a little nervously. “Why didn’t you just knock on my door and ask me?”

Izuna’s face turned red in embarrassment. A valid question, he had asked himself the same thing when Madara had barged into her home, had told his brother to knock or announce them, but nooo, Madara hadn’t listened to him...and now here he was, trying to explain it to her.

“Well, maybe he’s a little bit insane, but only when it comes to the Senju and apparently you....” Izuna sat down on the end of her bed. “I’ve never seen him act so impulsively before.” Izuna scratched at his smooth face as though he had stubble.

“It’s kinda a long story, why we hate the Senju. They’ve been our enemies as long as I can remember.” It wasn’t an excuse but he hoped she would try to understand. “I don’t even remember why we are fighting, except that they have killed too many Uchiha and we have killed too many Senju.”

Sakura’ saw the confusion in Izuna’s eyes and began to hope. Hashirama had said the same thing to her.

She understood more than he knew about their clan, about the Senju, and not enough at the same time. It was something she didn’t fully understand yet, she couldn’t possibly explain it to him. So she focused on the only thing she could at the moment. “Why are you here Izuna and how did you find me?” 

Tobirama had taken great pains to make sure they hadn’t been followed. Izuna’s presence was disturbing enough...without the added hostility and chaos his brother had brought with them.

“My brother, Madara, have you met him before?” Izuna asked his question before answering hers.

Sakura thought about his question. It was a valid and simple question, straight forward enough she supposed and yet...it wasn’t an easy question to answer truthfully. She shook her head slowly, ‘I have had...dreams about him. Terrible dreams.’, That is what she wanted to say but...she didn’t. She couldn’t.

“I do not know him, only of him.” She said instead, her eyes wary of the man at the end of her bed. Would he accept such a vague answer? She had nothing else to offer him, not yet.

“What are you doing here Izuna and how did you find me?” She asked him again fully aware he had avoided her previous question. She wasn’t going to answer anymore of his questions, until he answered some of hers.

“Madara, my brother, he seemed to know...you lived here.” Izuna watched the woman before him carefully. 

He picked up the slight confusion in her eyes. She didn’t know...he thought to himself. She didn’t know that Madara knew she was here. He saw her expression change, her eyes flickered to his brother’s sleeping form...she was...frightened. Sakura was scared of his brother...not that he blamed her, many were.

However, her fear seemed more...personal and yet he didn’t sense any deceit from her. He really felt that she was telling him the truth, albeit half truths, but she was not intentionally trying to deceive him or manipulate him.

“Sakura.” He began hesitantly. He didn’t want to push her away anymore than his brother had already, she wasn’t screaming, she wasn’t attacking him and she hadn’t rightfully told him to leave yet so…he thought he would try his luck.

”How do you know the Senju?” He asked her, careful to keep the suspicion from his voice, the hatred. He didn’t want her to think he was accusing her of anything. He wasn’t his brother.

She understood his inquiry and his brother’s assumption now. “Madara recognized Hashirama’s jutsu.” She said flatly, the dots connecting in her head. ‘He thought you might be a spy for the Senju’, that’s what Izuna had said earlier.

Izuna didn’t trust himself not to accuse her of...anything, so he nodded for her to continue. He could smooth this over, she was being more receptive than he had hoped she would be.

“I didn’t ask Hashirama to make me this house. I didn’t want it. He did it without my permission and to be honest...it really pissed me off.” She told him confirming his already pre established opinion of her. The house had seemed much too extravagant for her personality, for her tastes. He nodded again..

Sakura remained silent. She knew he wanted her to continue, to explain her relationship with the Senju, but she owed him nothing. He however...owed her much. 

“My relationship with the Senju is nothing more than my relationship with you, minus our business transaction Izuna.” Her tone was hard and he knew the conversation to be over. 

With tact, she had told him what he wanted to know, reminding him of his debt to her. A debt, she was only reminding him of...because she had been pushed into a corner. He understood, she expected his sense of honor to keep his tongue still, she had read him well. Izuna smiled.

Sakura looked at the sleeping form on the floor of her bedroom. “Your brother. Is ill.” She moved her legs to the side of her bed and walked over to where Madara was laying, Izuna at her side. “I don’t need to run my healing chakra over him to feel the ill intent inside of him.”

“Strange.” Sakura laid her hand on Madara’s chest, a wicked pulsation hit her hard, making her withdraw her hand in haste. She recognized that intent...that evil foul evil.

“Something is inside of him, something malicious and dark. I can feel...it’s hatred for me, separate from your brother..” It was the same intent she had felt by the river that night...and she knew now, how Madara had found her. “He needs to rid himself of the parasite.” She looked at Izuna’s confused face.

Then, she thought, he could be himself again.

“What do you mean? Parasite? Can you…” He couldn’t possibly ask her to heal his brother not after what he had done to her.

“I don’t think it is something I can heal.” She said. “He doesn’t even know he is being influenced by it I don’t think.” 

She closed her eyes, her head still ached. “What a nightmare.” She mumbled.

Izuna didn’t understand. “What is it, what is influencing him?”

“I.” Sakura frowned. The name was right there behind her eyes…”I’m not sure.” She said.

Izuna could tell she wasn’t telling him everything, that she was holding back. “Sakura please, what do you know?”

“Too much and not enough.” She murmured. 

“I know what you want me to tell you, but I don’t have complete answers for you. If I tell you in parts, it might do more damage than good. You’re going to have to trust me.” Her mouth curled in a humorless smirk. Trust, was asking for quite a lot.

Izuna looked down at his brother, then back to Sakura. “I want to trust you.” He said honestly. “But…”

Sakura ignored his sentiment. She had already known his answer before the words had been said out loud. A response was unnecessary.

“I can feel two entities, two intense...beings or emotions coming from your brother. One is his and the other is...not.” She said cryptically.

“The other is not.” Izuna didn’t understand. “You’re saying he is being controlled?”

“Not exactly, I think…” A stream of subconscious thought washed over her. “I think he is not himself.” She ended lamely, not sure of her own sanity.

Izuna nodded, this was going nowhere. There were other things he wanted answers to though. “When we got here, the genjutsu...did you cast the genjutsu over your home or was that...someone else?”

“I did.” She watched him. “It was taught to me, long ago.” Her head was clearing, she was feeling more like herself. 

“I don’t have the answers you are looking for Izuna.” She knew what he wanted, but she didn’t recall who taught her the genjutsu, only that it was a genjutsu singularly used by the Uchiha...Sasuke perhaps...

Izuna frowned, she was telling him more half truths, but she wasn’t lying... He had more to ask her, more to apologize for but he could see the shadows under her eyes, could tell she was still tired. “We should go then.” He said bowing slightly.

There was an awkward silence between them. “Um...thank you for healing me and for uh...” He trailed off, unsure how to thank her for not stabbing his brother through the heart the moment she had woken up.

“I’m sorry for stabbing you through the chest with my trap.” She watched him.

“The soldier pills…” He hesitated to ask her but…

“Get your asshole brother out of my house and I will make them for you.” Sakura saved him the embarrassment of asking. “I’ll need the herbs in the scroll I gave back to you though. I don’t have everything here and I will need more Nara antlers.” She said.

Izuna pulled the scroll from his pouch and handed it to her with immense gratitude that he hoped showed on his face.

Sakura took the scroll. “I need to rest but I will start on the pills and make as many as I can with the ingredients in this scroll in the next few days.”

“I will get you more antlers as soon as I can.” Izuna bowed low, hoping to portray his regret, his thanks and his...sincerity. “Sakura, my brother he...isn’t a bad person he just...the Senju, they…”

“Don’t make excuses for him. Just get him out of here and when you bring me the rest of the herbs and the antlers...do me a favor and leave the big lummox at home hum?” Sakura said without rancor a small twitch in the corner of her lips.

Izuna saw it and smiled, a brilliantly sweet smile at her. He lifted his brother up and over his shoulder. “I will tell my brother you graciously agreed to make the pills for our clan. I hope, in time… uh…”

“Izuna.” Sakura stopped his sputtering. “I’m tired.”

“Of course.” Izuna turned and walked out of her room not wanting to push his luck, this was going much better than he could ever have hoped for, after Madara’s uh...interference. Sakura followed Izuna, shut the front door behind him, sighed and walked to her kitchen. She needed a strong cup of tea, or perhaps some sake.

Tobirama moved the brush over the paper swiftly and accurately over and over, one after the other. Once one formula was dry, he would move it from the end of the line, and onto the growing stack on the shelf beside his desk, move each seal over, adding yet another to the line of drying formulas.

It had been a risk to use his formula for the first time with another. He hadn’t been sure it would work, much less transport two people, it had been incredibly risky. Tobirama frowned, setting his brush down on its holder. She had been worth it but...Tobirama looked up to see his brother standing in the frame of his door.

“Hashirama.” Tobirama acknowledged his brother with a curt nod.

“She’s resting. I left her to rest alone but I sealed her house with protection seals.” Hashirama stepped into his brother’s room and sat down on the rise of the floor before his bed. They both knew who ‘she’ was.

“Her...spells, have gotten worse since I met her. You know what I am referring to. I saw it in your eyes. Tell me, how many did she have on your trip to Tanzaku Town?” Hashirama rested his hands on his knees as he waited for his brother to respond.

“Three, that were noticeable. Two that were bad, incapacitating her, forcing her to take to her bed or to rest. There may have been more mild ones. I was not with her the whole time.” Tobirama answered him honestly. “Do you know what they are? What causes them?”

“No.” Hashirama said. “Do you?”

His brother’s eyes were sharp and focused as they looked at him and Tobirama saw this for what it was...an interrogation. “I do not. I asked her, but she refused to elaborate or explain them to me. I’m not sure she even knows what they are.” Tobirama raised one white brow at his elder brother, telling him, he knew exactly what he was up to.

“I’m worried about her Tobi. Her affliction is...dangerous for her.” Hashirama dropped all pretense and leaned forward on his knees, his palms against his cheeks. “What do we do?”

“What do you mean what do we do, there is nothing we can do.” Tobirama sighed, he should have seen this coming. “She hasn’t asked us for help Hashirama.”

“What if she gets hurt because she isn’t paying attention, because she is distracted by her ailments and, and…” Hashirama was getting himself worked up.

“Don’t insult her further by butting in again.” Tobirama said a bit more harshly than he had intended to. “She will ask for help, if she needs it.” He turned back to drawing his formulas, he didn’t want to have this conversation with his brother.

Hashirama watched his brother work in silence for a moment, then rose and left the room. Tobirama set his brush down again and ran his hands over his face in frustration. Hashirama’s concerns were his own, but unlike Hashirama he knew it wouldn’t help Sakura or her afflictions to have them smothering her.

She wasn’t a child, nor helpless. Why couldn’t his brother understand that?

He would visit her, in three days, just as she had asked him to...providing they didn’t go to war. No new missives had come in concerning the Uchiha. It appeared that they hadn’t made any move toward war yet. He wondered what had driven them to gather in the first place. Their last battle had been gruesome, one of their worst. Both sides had lost nearly half of their forces. He hadn’t thought they would want to go to war again so soon.

Tobirama was fine with that, he had no real desire to fight anymore, his heart hadn’t been in the battle for quite some time, and after losing Toka... He just wanted it to end, to have their one last battle and end this ridiculous bloody war of theirs.

Now, more than ever. 

There were other things he wished to focus his energy on now. Other things he would rather be doing than fighting that never ending fight against the cursed Uchiha Clan.

Tobirama’s thoughts returned to his newly mastered jutsu. Izuna Uchiha had been following them, but was he following him, Tobirama, or the woman… He hadn’t been transferring fault when he had told his brother that the Uchiha could have just as easily been following Sakura instead of him. It had been possible that the Uchiha had seen her in Tanzaku piquing the man’s interest.

Sakura had a unique look, one he had never seen before. The thought of Izuna Uchiha...following Sakura, did not sit well with the white haired Senju. Tobirama was not a jealous man, but he had never had anything or anyone to be jealous over. He had never considered his brother Hashirama as competition for anything before Sakura. They had always worked together, in tandem, as a team, as a family.

Tobirama didn’t want the desire for Sakura’s affections to come between them but...he wasn’t going to give her up just because his brother, ‘Saw her first’.

Hashirama knew that his younger brother hadn’t told him everything that had happened between him and Sakura in Tanzaku. He knew that they had grown closer...that they had bonded. He didn’t know how much, to what extent, but when Sakura had called out for his brother and Tobirama had run to her side...it left little for the imagination.

Hashirama grit his teeth. He wanted his brother to be happy, he did, but at the cost of his own happiness? No, he didn’t want that. He was a selfish man, more selfish than those around him knew. More selfish than he let them see. 

The face that he presented to the world was not his own. Madara and him had always had that in common, that was what had drawn them together. Like Madara, Hashirama was not who he appeared to be. He was...so much more and so much less.

He walked across his room to his desk, his desk that he had replicated for Sakura, and pulled a sealed scroll from the bottom drawer. Setting the scroll down on his desk top, he sat back in his chair, the same chair he had made for Sakura, and stared at the scroll. 

Maybe if Tobirama had something else to occupy his mind, maybe if there was something more important than...a woman...a noble goal for the good of humanity, for the good of their clan. Hashirama broke the Uchiha Clan crest seal on the scroll and opened it slowly, taking in each column, checking each line for error, for discrepancies.

Over the years, he had sent many peace treaties back and forth to the Uchiha, to Madara, but only once, had Madara sent him back a counter offer, only once...had he considered peace between their clans. Hashirama scanned the document. Madara’s requests were not unreasonable. His demands hadn’t been that demanding.

His eyes fell to the bottom of the scroll, of the last column, ‘For the future of all’, Madara had written in blood, Uchiha blood, the Clan head’s blood. A promise...a concession.

Hashirama picked up his glass pen and signed his name to the bottom with a flourish. Wiping the ink from his pen, he bit his thumb and dipped the glass pen into his blood.

“For the future of all, for mine and yours.” Hashirama spoke the words as he wrote them in blood, a promise...a concession.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready?
> 
> Remember when I said the pace of the chapter depicts the mood of the char?
> 
> Take note of who is thinking, feeling and talking...and roll with it :)

“I doubt anyone will bother him but don’t let anyone disturb my brother Kagami. I need to see about some herbs and write a missive to the Nara.” He patted the young Uchiha on the shoulder before turning down the hall toward the common room that he shared with his brother.

Izuna made a quick note to the Nara, tied his missive to one of his brother’s hawks, along with a small bag of gold for payment, and sent it on it’s way. The Uchiha weren’t exactly allies with the Nara Clan, but they weren’t enemies either. 

His request would be viewed with suspicion, he knew, but he didn’t have time to travel to Tanzaku and wait for the merchants to meet with their handlers of the Nara Clan. It was best to request the antlers from the source, with payment up front.

The herbs would be easier to acquire for Sakura. She hadn’t needed most of the more rare herbs they typically purchased from the Benisu merchants. He had been surprised when he had taken a final stock of the herbs she had left him in the scroll. All of the common herbs were almost gone, with only a few bunches of the middling herbs left and nearly all of the rare ones.

She had either used or kept the Nara antlers. If she had kept them, he didn’t blame her. They were difficult to come by and terribly expensive. It took a long time for a buck to grow their antlers and Izuna imagined that they didn’t give them up very graciously.

He made a quick list of all the herbs he assumed she would need from memory and handed it off to one of the maid’s with instructions to leave first thing in the morning for the market in Riga, the next village over, known to have such simples.

He would check on his brother in a few hours, after dinner, but right now...he needed a nap, just a quick one. It had been a long day and his chest was beginning to pain him. A small reminder, that he was mortal, but not mortality wounded anymore, thanks to Sakura.

“She really was a medic nin.” He muttered to himself as he stripped off his shirt and threw it in the corner of his room.

Izuna lay on his back on his bed and closed his eyes. He felt his body relaxing, sinking into the soft futon and smiled. He wondered what Sakura was doing right now, maybe she was in her garden smelling her flowers, or perhaps by the river watching the fish...or in the bath, with the steam rising up around her bare shoulders, her long pink hair wet against her skin.

_“There’s just too many of them.” Sakura looked out past her comrades into the mass of White Zetsu running toward them._

_“Brace yourself Sakura and stay alert. We will win this war. Don’t give up on me now.” Kakashi lifted his headband and winked at her with his sharingan eye._

_“I didn’t say I was going to give up.” Sakura started to protest but Kakashi cut her off._

_His hand shot out, he grabbed her around the waist and pressed his mouth to hers. “Good, because I want to marry you. As soon as this war is over, it’s you and me.”_

_Sakura stood rooted to the ground, her eyes wide as she watched him charge forward with the rest of the squads._

_“Marry?” She touched her lips, shook her head, a wild grin on her face, running fast to catch up to him. Yeah, she thought to herself, we will win this, we will win this because...I want that Kakashi, I deserve my happy ending._

“I love you Kakashi.” Sakura whispered into her pillow, two tears slipping from her eyes, soaking into her blanket.

_“Hey, long time no see.” Madara walked up behind Hashirama who was already sitting by the river when he had arrived._

_“So um…” Madara had forgotten his new friend’s name._

_“It’s Hashirama.” Hashirama said with a sullen voice._

_“Hashirama, right, this time you’re depressed right from the start.” Madara cocked his head to the side with a smile on his face half teasing, half prompting his friend to tell him what was bothering him._

_“What do you mean? I’m fine.” Hashirama tried to cheer his voice up a tad, tried to turn and smile at his friend._

_“Right. What’s wrong?” Madara could see the pain and suffering in his eyes, the same that plagued him, the same pain and the same suffering that had brought him down to the river that day._

_“It’s nothing.” Hashirama refused to talk._

_“Come on, just tell me ok, I’ll listen.” Madara thought if he got Hashirama to talk, that maybe...he could talk too, to get some of his own demons off his chest, that maybe...they could help one another, be there for one another._

“Hashirama.” Madara muttered his old friend’s name in his sleep and rolled over onto his side, his fist clenched in his blanket like his teeth.

_Sasuke slammed her up against the wall. “I know you still love me, deep down Sakura.” His hand came up to her face, his thumb wiping away the thin trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth. “Stop fighting me.”_

_“What the hell do you think you’re doing Sasuke, we’re at war, this isn’t the time or place for this.” Sakura pushed against his chest and watched in horror as his eyes spun red once then twice. “The mangekyo.” She gasped and immediately closed her eyes._

_Sasuke’s deep chuckle vibrated against her chest. “Look at me Sakura. Don’t you trust me?”_

_“Sasuke, get off of...umph!” Sakura struggled against her old friend and teammate as he forced his mouth over hers. Her eyes snapped open in shock as she began to frantically push him away._

_Their eyes met, she fell unconscious and limp in his arms. Sasuke picked her up and carried her to his tent, where he laid her on his cot._

_“What the hell do you think you’re doing Sasuke!” Naruto’s voice shouted from Sasuke’s tent flap, his eyes darting from Sakura to his best friend._

_“Chakra exhaustion, she passed out.” Sasuke waved his hand over the woman in his bed. “Let her sleep it off.”_

_Naruto followed Sasuke out of his tent. “I’m not stupid Sasuke. I know what you were doing.”_

_“What was I doing, Naruto?” Sasuke smirked at the blonde._

_“Nothing good.” Naruto turned on his heel walking back to Sasuke’s tent. Sasuke watched placidly as Naruto walked back out of his tent, Sakura in his arms, moving quickly toward the medic tents on the other end of the field._

The moon was rising outside of Sakura’s bedroom window casting an eerie soft glow of yellow white around her room. Still, she slept, her dreams flowing from one memory to the next, her reality warped and changed as her mind stepped through the passage of time. Further, she fell into the void, her mind grasping at the timid tendrils of memories past and present, some her own, others...very much the thoughts and feelings of someone else.

_The wind blew her hair back and over her shoulders. She could see two men standing side by side in front of her, looking over the cliff side, smiles on their faces, hope in their eyes._

_“Our dream Madara, this was our dream as children, finally my old friend, it has come true.” Hashirama Senju turned his head to smile at his friend._

_“A place we can truly call our own, for generations to come. Generations of peace and prosperity.” Madara Uchiha nodded, his eyes still cast over the cliff side and beyond._

_“I couldn’t have done it without you.” Hashirama placed a firm hand on Madara’s shoulder and smiled widely._

_“Or you.” Madara turned, his dark eyes meeting Sakura’s, a handsome calming smile on his face._

_Sakura gasped and took a step backward. Why were they speaking to her… This wasn’t right. She shouldn’t be here, this was wrong, she didn’t belong in their time she belonged...she turned and ran, the voices of the two men calling out her name, condemning her…_

_“Sakura?” A slouched figure leaning against a tree, pushed off and stood up before her, his hand reaching out to her, love in his eyes, two dark grey eyes…”Kakashi.” She breathed out his name and took a step toward her lover._

_“Sakura.” Another voice caught her ear. She turned to see Tobirama Senju, his arms at his sides, his happuri absent, his fur collar gone...he stood before her in plain clothes, vulnerable, open...waiting for her to speak._

_“Tobirama.” Sakura stopped, turned from one man to the other, her eyes wide, her heart thumping in her chest._

_Kakashi looked from Sakura to Tobirama. “You’ve moved on.” He said, a sadness to his voice that made her want to run to him, grab him and protest his claim...but she couldn’t because…she looked back at Tobirama._

_Tobirama stood tall and strong, his red eyes slanted watching her watch him, her eyes passing back and forth between the two men before her._

_“The choice is yours.” He bowed from the waist, one hand behind his back, suppressed emotion clear in his eyes._

_She floundered. She stumbled. She ran._

‘You can’t go back’, a voice sang in her head. ‘We sent you here and here you will stay’, the singing had stopped, was replaced with a light dreamy sort of tone. ‘I will never die’

“Get out!” Sakura sat up in her bed, her hands to her head. “Zetsu! Get out!” Sakura pressed chakra to her temples, grasping at the tendrils in her brain. That’s right, that was its name...how the hell could she ever have forgotten that...

‘Oh? So you did figure it out hum?’, White Zetsu sang to her once more. ‘The Uchiha boy didn’t think you would, but I knew better. Tsk Tsk, he always underestimated you didn’t he?’, Zetsu leaned against her conscience.

“We defeated you, you’re dead!” Sakura continued to push chakra into her head.

‘You remember? How remarkable. It seems the man’s seal didn’t work after all’, White Zetsu continued to taunt her maliciously.

“Seal, whose seal, who put a seal on me and why?” Sakura demanded. She could feel the tendrils separating from her subconscious...that must be where he had lain hidden...how could she not have noticed, how did this happen?

‘Your lover of course.’, White Zetsu cackled loud and painfully in her head. ‘He thought to spare you the burden of his memory, once he and the fox child realized what was happening...of course they were too late.’, He hummed at her, laughing at her misery.

“Kakashi? Kakashi took my memories?” Sakura didn’t understand, why the hell would he do such a thing to her? 

‘Oh yes, he took your memories and the fox boy sealed your chakra...I almost couldn’t find you’, Zetsu growled a low and ominous growl. ‘So vexing really, you were nearly undetectable, stayed hidden for so long...until Madara Uchiha found you’, White Zetsu hummed in joy. ‘I was so fortunate!’, He crowed.

‘I recognized you right away’, she could feel that same hatred, that same oozing evil seeping from the corners of her eyes, her fingers, clouding her mind.

Sakura flooded her head with chakra, one by one, two by two she was loosening the parasites grasping plant vines from her subconscious, slowly she pulled him from her mind. “It was you then, you were the one trying to get Madara Uchiha to kill me?”

‘Of course!’, White Zetsu said happily. ‘Who better than he to kill you, the Senju would have yet another thing to hold against the Uchiha. Cunning girl, making such good friends with them, clever girl, hiding from me for so long.’ His demented singing echoed through her head, making it hurt.

Sakura paused...fear washing over her. “You’re not him, you’re not the same Zetsu you’re…”

‘Yes’, He hissed. ‘I am the current White Zetsu, but unlike you I have the superior ability to know what is, what was, and what will be. I have leached the future from your mind!’, Zetsu was delighted with himself. ‘You don’t know what a surprise you were! So useful you are!’

“The Infinite Tsukuyomi.” Sakura whispered. She felt sick, this was making her sick.

‘Yes’, White Zetsu said with praise. ‘Will happen much sooner now, now that I know where I went wrong before, now that you and your friends can’t get in my way.’

‘I already have control over Madara, mind, body and soul. Doomed’, He hissed, ‘You’re all doomed!’, He laughed delightedly.

“No...I won’t. Let. You!” Sakura grit her teeth and released her Yin seal. Ribbons flowed from her mark down her face and over her body. She ripped White Zetsu from her mind and pushed his physical form from her body, gripping him by the throat. “You’re going to die right here!”

“You can’t kill me! I am a part of you!” He hissed, his yellow eyes in her mind’s eye narrowing in hatred, fear and animosity.

“Not anymore asshole.” Sakura focused all of her chakra into her hands, her fingers glowed green and pulsed with energy. “I’m a medic nin, the best in the world and I am going to rip you apart...at a molecular level.” She grinned as his face and arms began to fade away.

“No, impossible, impossible! You can’t be this strong, I saw the future, I saw your strengths, your weaknesses!” He hissed, his voice fading.

“I have surpassed my mentor, I have surpassed her Yin seal and made this one my own. What do you think I have been doing here for the last year?” She taunted the creature like he had taunted her.

“I still have Madara, I still have the Uchiha! Black Zetsu will….” His face cracked under the pressure of Sakura's immense chakra, his body exploded into vapor and was no more.

Sakura dropped to her knees, the wooden floor boards shook from her weight. She slumped over onto her side, her hand on her chest. “Naruto, Kakashi...what have you done? Sasuke...you bastard, why...why do this to me?”

The black lines glowed a brilliant purple, her chakra pulsed throughout her body healing the damage White Zetsu had caused, sealing the holes he had drilled into her mind, into her soul. Sakura closed her eyes, tears pooling at the corners and wept. She needed to break the seal...she wanted her memories back. Why Kakashi, why did you do that, why would you want me to forget you…

Madara jerked in his sleep, his eyes snapped open. There was a growling howl in his head. “Ugh.” He sat up and looked around, he was back home, in the Uchiha compound, in his bed. “Izuna.”

He laid back down, the howling had stopped. His head began to ache. He was tired, so tired. Madara closed his eyes, all he could see were flashes of pink and green…”Tennyo.” He muttered, and fell back asleep.

_“Such pretty hair.”_

_Madara watched as a young pink haired girl struggled in the grasp of an older dark haired girl._

_“Maybe if you spent more time training instead of conditioning your hair you wouldn’t be in this mess.”_

_He watched as the pink haired girl smirked, pulled a kunai and cut her hair from the other girl’s grasp, freeing herself and making hand signs for a substitution jutsu._

_“Tennyo?” Madara watched the girl make hand sign after hand sign, confused and disoriented. These weren’t his memories. What was this?_

_The light faded around him and a new memory took the other’s place._

_“Sasuke! Please, don’t leave me!”_

_The same pink haired girl called out to a boy who looked very much like Izuna._

_“Sasuke please! I’ll do anything! I’m so in love with you I don’t know what to do with myself!”_

_He watched the tears fall down her face and frowned...who was that boy? He was clearly an Uchiha, but his clothes were strange, the girl’s clothes were strange…_

_The boy flashed behind the girl who barely moved._

_“Thank you, Sakura, for everything.” He told her, then hit her hard on the neck, knocking her out._

_Madara scoffed as the boy laid her down on the cold hard stone bench and walked down the street. Madara turned to look at the girl...these were her memories, he realized. He looked around, what village was this? He didn’t know. What time is this...he took in the strange buildings, the wires and poles around the streets. How peculiar._

_The light around him faded again to reform into another one of the Tennyo’s memories. She was older now, than the last memory he had witnessed. Her clothes had changed but were still strange to him. She was standing beside an old woman, a woman of the desert by her dress. Madara cocked his head to the side, why would she be with a shinobi from the desert?_

_Looking past the two women he could see their foe, an odd man, crouched low with a...tail?_

_“Sasori, won’t you show me your face, it’s been so long since I’ve seen my grandson’s face.” The old woman’s voice filled the cavern._

_Flashes of light flooded his vision, when he was able to refocus the girl and the woman were dodging a storm of senbon, shot out of what he now saw was a puppet’s mouth. He was amazed the pink haired woman could dodge the senbon so skillfully, she was clearly not as experienced in battle as her foe...then, he saw them, chakra strings...ah, the old woman he thought to himself._

_Madara watched the girl smash a chakra infused fist into the puppet, shattering it forcing the puppet master to flee the safety of his creation to face them head on._

_“Holy shit.” His Tennyo was strong._

_His head was throbbing, he squinted his eyes...the battle continued to play out before him, he didn’t want to miss anything. He jolted as his Tennyo was struck through the abdomen with a poisoned blade. He took a step forward to help her but she was...smiling...black ribbons flew from her forehead over her skin and the wound sizzled, she slowly pulled the blade from her body, the wound healing right before his eyes…_

_“Amazing.” Madara mumbled. “She is truly amazing.”_

Madara rolled over onto his back, his eyes open and gasping for breath. He felt as though he had been there with her, had fought beside her...had been a part of her battle. He knew he hadn’t. He knew it was impossible...and yet, he was there. He saw, he heard...he had felt her chakra pulsating with anger, felt her intent glowing with triumph...his Tennyo.

“What the hell does this mean?” He took several deep breaths before throwing his blanket aside and getting out of bed. The moon was still rising. He wondered...was the Tennyo dreaming of him, like he was dreaming of her? Were they...connected somehow...


	21. Going Back

Sakura could feel him outside of her house. His presence was both familiar and threatening. What was he doing here at this late hour...did he know...had he seen what she had seen...impossible and yet... She had felt it before, that connection...that evil intent that bound them. She moved carefully to her window and looked out over her garden. “Madara.”

Her eyes were heavy, but her pulse raced. A side effect of her Yin seal, it took so much chakra from both her reserve and her regular coils to destroy the entity White Zetsu...she knew no one could have done such a thing but her without dying. Even then, they might not have had enough chakra to completely destroy the beast.

She would sleep soon. Her hands rose half heartedly before her, she cast the protection jutsu over her home and a three layer genjutsu. Madara would recognize it, like the one she had cast before but it couldn’t be helped. She didn’t have it in her to cast a different genjutsu or protection seal.

She turned. She wanted to make it to her bed before she collapsed. 

Sakura fell into the blanket, her face brushing against the softness of her pillow, her eyes already closed...her spirit felt like...it was dying. She had used too much chakra ridding herself of White Zetsu. “Damn it.” She groaned.

“Giving up already? So unlike you Sakura.” A humor laced voice spoke beside her.

She didn't have to open her eyes to know who it was. “Why Kakashi, why did you want me to forget you?”

A sigh, a hand on her back rubbing her spine gently, knuckles digging into the places he knew would be sore, like he had done for her so many times before. “To save you the torment of living without me, my own hell, for you are gone...I’ve lost you.” He said sadly, quietly.

“I am here.” She said, willing her eyes to open, to see him next to her again, but they wouldn’t open. Was she dreaming again? Her head didn’t ache, it didn’t pain her to think of him anymore...

“...but I am not.” He laid a kiss to her forehead. “Be well.”

“Kakashi.” Sakura called out for him but there was no answer, she was alone. Why did it feel like...he was telling her goodbye? She couldn’t hold on any longer, to him, to consciousness...

He could see her through her window. Had his gaze pulled her from her bed to come to meet him...did she feel it too, that pull between them, that desire? He dared not move. He knew she knew he was there but she hadn’t made a move to welcome or repel him. He waited. “Tennyo.”

She turned after a moment walking slowly back to her bed. She looked exhausted, like him. He closed his eyes. He could feel it...something dark, something not quite right in the recesses of his mind. Festering, murmuring and then it lay quiet. He should go. He should rest. Madara looked over his shoulder, then back to his Tennyo. 

“I will return.” He assured himself. He wasn’t running away from her, or the emotions that swam in his head, no… There were things that must be said between them, but for now...he needed to rest, he needed to think.

Madara rose to his feet and ran across the forest back to the Uchiha compound.

Tobirama lowered his hands to his lap, his book resting against his thigh. He could feel something in the distance. There was something pulsating in the night. Ill intent. He rose from his bed pulling his shirt from the back of his chair and throwing it on over his head. Closing his eyes he concentrated on the pulse, counting the lapse of time between the sensation…”Sakura.”

Her chakra...it was stronger, it shone like a beacon in the night...this was bad, something had happened. Tobirama grabbed his sword as he jumped out the window of his room, running west, toward Sakura. Leaving both his happuri and armour behind him, he ran to her.

Hashirama stood on the roof of the home he shared with his brother and watched him run out into the night. He had felt it too and had wanted to go to her but he held back, now was not the time. Let his younger brother comfort her...for now. Soon, he would have too much to do to spare Sakura a thought. Soon, there would be more important things to occupy his brother’s mind and Sakura would be his.

_“I figured it out!” Sakura crowed to Naruto and Kakashi from behind her desk at the hospital. “It was so simple it is almost laughable!” She laughed._

_“The time transportation seal?” Naruto poked the seal on her desk, the one she was tapping her fingers against._

_“Yes, but it isn't just a time transportation seal, remember, it is a time seal that can send a person back in time, a specific time, and keep them there. It’s a dual seal! It’s incredible!” She thrummed with excitement. “I've never seen anything like it before.”_

_“It’s dangerous.” Kakashi glared down at the seal on her desk. “This discovery has to stay between us. If this got out, if people knew…”_

_Sakura nodded. “They would use it to re write history.”_

_“Whoa.” Naruto stared down at the seal on her desk._

_“No wonder The Land of Eddies was destroyed.” Sasuke said from the doorway._

_“Lurking in doorways again Sasuke?” Kakashi narrowed his eyes against the Uchiha. Naruto growled beside him at Sasuke’s ruthless words._

_“You already knew I was there.” Sasuke’s eyes roamed the room taking in the blonde, the Copy nin, coming to rest on Sakura. “So did you.”_

_“What do you want Sasuke?” Sakura was sick of his antics. Ever since the war, ever since his trial, he had been appearing or disappearing in and around the oddest places, times or people. It was a bit unnerving. It was almost as if he was a ghost._

_“I want to talk to you. Have dinner with me. Tonight.” Sasuke watched her eyes flicker to Kakashi then back to him._

_“I’m not sure that’s appropriate Sasuke.” She said quietly. “I’m engaged.”_

_“You said we would always be friends, Sakura. Do you no longer consider me a...friend?” His eyes darkened._

_Sakura could feel Kakashi inching toward her, could feel Naruto’s heavy glare at their former teammate. The tension had been building, the pressure of their ‘situation’ had been rising little by little...soon...each of them would break, someone would do something...regrettable. Who would break first?_

_“You don’t know the meaning of the word...but…” She hesitated, looking at Kakashi, willing him to back down, telling him with her eyes that she could handle this. “I will have dinner with you tonight.”_

_“Hn.” Sasuke smirked, Naruto and Kakashi closed in on her as he left her office. He could hear their protests as he walked casually down the hall, confidently...the time seal tucked securely in his pocket._

Tobirama dropped down at the edge of Sakura’s clearing. He could feel the faint chakra signature of Madara Uchiha on the other side of the treeline. His lips twisted into a slight snarl. That man...what had he been doing here...what did he want with the woman and how did he know she was here.

Red narrowed eyes took in the woods surrounding Sakura’s home. Tobirama couldn’t find a stick out of place, there was no sign of a struggle or a confrontation...except…

Tobirama bent over a small patch of upturned dirt and wire. There was blood on the ground but not much and...that’s when he felt it again, that dark evil, that dark tension...as well as Izuna Uchiha’s chakra signature. Both Uchiha...had been here, one more recently than the other...

Standing tall, his arms at his side, he looked around the clearing again, felt her chakra moving erratically from inside her home. He closed his eyes...she was safe but...he turned his head. What was this feeling...there was something else in the air, something not human, something not right. Frustrated with his lack of insight he approached the house, knocked twice hard and waited.

There was no answer. He waited...and waited. He knocked again, more aggressively this time...nothing.

Should he release the protection seals? Would she understand or would she get upset at him…

No good could come to her if the Uchiha were involved and they were...he knew it. Tobirama sighed, lifted his hands and released her protection jutsu. He was impressed. She had used a high level protection jutsu, but it also worried him...was she hurt, was she that weak that she thought she needed something stronger to place between her and the outside world?

That’s when he felt it, the genjutsu…

”Shit.” He cursed himself. He hadn’t been expecting that but he should have. He should have expected the unexpected from her.

Cold washed over him, he felt like he was falling…”Release.” He said confidently. Nothing happened.

“What?” That should have broken her genjutsu, unless…”Damn it woman, you layered it.”

He made the hand signs again and again as shadowy figures began to close in on him, but nothing happened.

“She isn’t yours. She’s mine.” A white haired man with his headband pulled down over one eye spoke to him.

“Who are you?” Tobirama stiffened. He couldn’t sense the man’s chakra. He wore a headband with an odd symbol on it. What clan was that? He didn’t know. “You’re...not real.”

Tobirama made the hand signs again, flared his chakra and fell to his knees panting as the genjutsu broke around him. “Damn woman, you’re scary.” 

He pushed off the ground and rose to his feet, slid her front door back and called out her name. “Sakura?”

_“You know I’m not good with...words.” Sasuke sat across from her at her kitchen table in her apartment._

_They had chosen to get take out instead of daring the still hostile looks of the public eye or the snide comments that even the civilians spit at him out of the corners of their mouths when he walked by._

_“Or loyalty.” Sakura hadn’t meant to be so snarky. She thought she had come to terms with her feelings over his abandonment, betrayal, then reconciliation after the war...but apparently she was still just as pissed as she had been during the war when he had suddenly appeared on the battlefield declaring he would be the next Hokage._

_“I am loyal, Sakura.” Sasuke leaned forward on the table, his food ignored as it grew cold on his plate, his chopsticks untouched, resting on their holder._

_Sakura laughed a bitter laugh. “Right.” She shook her head...this guy._

_“I never claimed to be loyal to Konoha, or to Orochimaru for that matter.” He said as if it mattered to her._

_“...and yet you wore the headband.” She nodded to the headband he wore now, like the one he had worn before...when they had been Genin, when they had been twelve years old...when she had thought she was in love with him._

_“I thought you said you forgave me. Why are you still so angry Sakura, is that why you’re marrying him? Is that why you’re...leaving me?” He asked her, rising to his feet and pushing his chair back and away from the table._

_“Leaving you? We were never together, Sasuke.” Was he delusional? Did seeing his brother again, then losing him again push him over the edge, or had he always been like this and her to blind and infatuated so see it…”I’m marrying Kakashi because I love him!” She growled._

_Sasuke stood there, his arm at his side, his eyes fixed on her. “So, I’m really too late. I thought that maybe…” He looked down at the table, around the kitchen, around her apartment._

_“We aren’t the kids we used to be are we?” He asked her, his voice deceptively gentle._

_Sakura narrowed her eyes at the man. “No, we aren’t Sasuke and I haven’t been that pathetic naive little girl for a very long time.” She realized then...no matter how she tried to fool herself, no matter how many times she told herself he was trying...Sasuke Uchiha simply couldn’t be saved._

_There was something in him, something deep in his soul that would never allow him to walk in the light. Zetsu was gone, the curse of the hatred was no more...this was...something else, something that was Sasuke himself._

_“I see now...I see in you all the things he sees.” He said quietly. “You’ve, become strong. Haven’t you Sakura?” A small sad smile drew up the corners of his mouth as he looked at her with sad eyes. “I've really lost you, haven’t I?”_

_“You never had me Sasuke.” Sakura moved around the table to stand in front of her former friend and teammate. “It’s time to let go of the past. It’s time to live in the now. Both of us Sasuke. Don’t throw this second chance away. I want you to find your happiness, even if it isn’t with me.” She told him honestly. They could find closure with one another. They could both forgive and let go, move on. This was a good thing she told herself._

_“Time.” Sasuke looked down at his hand, his fingers hidden in the sleeve of his shirt. “Such a fickle thing.”_

_“What?” Sakura didn’t understand why he would choose those words. The air around them was changing, she could feel his mood darkening once more. She took a step back and he took a step forward._

_“I thought you were my happiness Sakura but seeing you day in and day out with…’Him’...I can’t stand it.” His eyes turned cold and dark, fathomless and empty as he looked at her._

_“If I can’t be happy...then Sakura...neither can you.” He smiled, stepped forward and pressed the stolen Uzumaki seal to the back of her neck. His rinnegan flashed, his sharingan spun wildly in his eye...and he began to laugh a wicked unhinged laugh._

_Kakashi and Naruto broke through Sakura’s front door. Kakashi flew across the room, grabbed Sasuke by the throat and slammed him up against the farthest wall pinning him in place as Naruto ran to catch Sakura by the arms as she fell to the floor._

_“Damn it Sasuke, what the fuck! What the fuck is wrong with you!” Naruto was screaming, spit flying from his mouth as he held Sakura to his chest cradling her head in his arm as her eyes slid in and out of focus._

_“Remove the seal.” Kakashi hissed into the young Uchiha’s ear. “Remove the seal Sasuke Uchiha or die now, by my hand.”_

_Sasuke laughed harder, his life force draining from his body. “Can’t.” He panted. He didn’t have long anyway. “Won’t.” His eyes rolled into the back of his head._

_Kakashi squeezed his fingers around the boy’s throat, pressed his forearm into his chest._

_“Scum.” He hissed as the sound of a thousand chirping birds filled the room, an eerie glow of white and blue sparked then died as Kakashi Hatake thrust his chidori through the chest of the last Uchiha._

_Naruto didn’t move. He didn’t even try to stop Kakashi. All of them, each of them, had tried to save Sasuke. They had put everything else on hold for him for so long to...bring him back, none of them realizing how far gone he had been...until now._

_“Sakura.” Naruto moaned, her body fading in and out. “She’s...it’s pulling her into the void. Kakashi!”_

_Kurama moaned inside of Naruto. He had become fond of the quirky medic nin who was more than she had appeared to be._

_Kakashi dropped down beside his intended. “Wherever she goes, whenever he sent her, let her not be burdened by these horrible memories. To live with regret...I would not want her to live the rest of her life looking back.” He pulled the memory seal from his pouch, an Anbu seal._

_“I love you Sakura. I will never forget you but...maybe it’s best that...you forget about me. Forget about...all of us.” Kakashi pressed the seal over her heart and sealed her memories of everyone she knew._

_“Kakashi.” Naruto’s blue eyes went wide. “What are you doing?”_

_“She will remember the important things Naruto, like who she is, but as for the rest of us...I would not have her carry that burden, if I can take that pain from her heart...I will.” His eyes were hard as he looked down at the only woman he had ever loved. “Let me do this last thing for her, the only thing I can do for her now.”_

_Naruto nodded. “I too have a parting gift, something to keep her safe.” Naruto pulled a complicated looking tag from his pocket and placed it over Kakashi’s seal._

_“This will help hide her presence, for anyone who might go looking for her, for anyone who recognizes her as a kunoichi.” Naruto pressed the seal into Sakura’s chest and sealed it with the nine tails chakra as tears rolled down his face._

_The last members of Team Seven looked on, watched as her body faded away and disappeared. “Be safe Sakura.” Kakashi clenched his fists, his eyes clouded. “Kami keep her safe and maybe...let her love again.”_

Tobirama pushed the sliding door of Sakura’s bedroom open and stepped inside. His step was light, wary and quiet as he made his way to her bed. She was asleep, her eyes rolling behind her lids, her fingers twitching at her side and her breathing erratic and choked.

Tobirama looked around the room. He couldn’t feel anyone’s chakra in her room but her own...and his. The strange emotion he had felt earlier was gone, replaced with desire, longing and...fear? Tobirama looked back at the woman in her bed. Something was happening, he could feel it in the air but…

Sakura moaned out loud an anguished pitiful sound, her arm flinging off to the side. Her lips moved but no words were formed, he waited. Her body jerked to the side, she cried out as though in pain, he went to her.

“Sakura.” He lifted her into a sitting position and sat down beside her pulling her into his arms. “Sakura wake up.” He said urgently, shaking her gently.

_She was dying. Her body was separating from her mind. Pictures of events flew through her mind as she ‘passed’ them through time. Tendrils of memories long past and yet to come flew around her. Some attached to her, some passed her by harmlessly, but she saw them, she saw them all._

_She could see the Third Hokage laying dead on the roof of the municipal building. She saw her mother pregnant...with her._

_The horrors of the third shinobi war consumed her. The Yellow flash, Minato Sama, Naruto’s father flashed before her mind. Kurama...death, destruction...crying…_

_She fought against them, all of them, the blood, the angst, the terrors within, outside and around her. She fell, faster and faster into nothing._

_It was neither day nor night. A dark calm settled over the place in her body where her bones should be and yet...she was boneless, lifeless and...made of whim and air. She was alone. So alone that it hurt. The silence was deafening, then..._

_Voices came to her out of the dark one by one. Touches of fingers she knew she should recognize tormented her from beyond touching her hands, her face, her lips. Slowly...she felt like she was losing her mind._

_A light, blinking in intensity pierced her soul. She had no eyes...she could not ‘see’._

_Two men stood before her on a battlefield surrounded by death. She could not see...she felt. Two other men charged at one another, swords drawn, lips pulled back in a sneer, mouth set in grim severity...determination._

_“Izuna!” Someone yelled...a voice in anguish. A voice on the wind._

_“Tobirama no!” Another voice...pained...definite._

_“Tobirama?” Sakura whispered the name and found her voice strange. “Tobirama.” She opened her eyes and found that she could see._

_“Tobirama.” Tears of loss slid down her face. “Izuna.” She cried...she remembered, she saw, she knew..._

_There was a pain in her heart...she felt like she was breaking. There was a pain in her heart...she felt like she was dying. The seal cracked and split withering away to nothing. Nothing...is what she held in her heart, nothing is what surrounded her. She was alone..._

“Kakashi…” She remembered. “Kakashi…” She collapsed in upon herself.


	22. Chapter 22

“Tobirama.” Her voice cracked.

Tobirama ducked his head burying it in her tangled hair as she called out his name. This was the second time she had called out for him, the second time he had come to her. It felt...right.

“I’m here. I told you I would be here for you, that I would help you. I’m here.” He continued to hold her, his face pressed up against the soft skin of her neck, his spiky white locks brushing against her cheek and nose.

“Tobirama...you’re here.” Sakura wrapped her arms around the man and pressed her cheek against the side of his head as his grip tightened around her neck and shoulders. She hadn’t expected him to be there but she was very glad that he was. Her eyes were closed but she felt the beating of his heart, his breath on her skin and felt better, safe.

“I’m here.” He repeated himself. “I’m sorry I broke into your house.”

A faint laugh shook both of them lightly. “It’s okay.” She sighed, taking a small shallow breath, then another. “I’m glad you’re here.” 

She didn’t think she could stand to be alone, not now, not then...not after…

”Oh kami.” she broke down, tears falling from her eyes, streaming down her cheeks and dripping off her chin, soaking into his shirt, splashing onto her hair.

I remember. I remember…

Her shoulders shook violently, her breathing choked her and she felt sick. Sakura gripped the back of Tobirama’s shirt, scrunching up the soft material in her fists and cried. Cried for what was, what was lost and for what she knew was to come...only...she swallowed hard, willing herself to calm down. 

White Zetsu was gone...she had destroyed him...but…

Black Zetsu...Black Zetsu was still here, still attached to Madara Uchiha. She knew what she had to do. She had to see Madara.

Madara...she began to shake again...the man who had...but maybe if she helped him...maybe if she stopped Black Zetsu...

“Sakura, what can I do. What do you need me to do for you, to help you?” Tobirama’s deep voice was calm and steady, soothing to her frazzled mind...solid. 

“I’m sorry.” Sakura tried to pull back but he held her tight. Giving up and giving into her seemingly never ending exhaustion, she relaxed against him. “You being here, is enough. Thank you.”

Tobirama nodded, gathered her more securely in his arms and pulled her onto his lap, moving under her to rest his back against the wall, cradling her sideways and pulled the blanket up and over both of them. “Rest if you can. I’ll be here when you wake, if...you’ll allow it?”

She made no protest at his embrace, made no move to pull away from him or to push him from her. Sakura simply exhaled and laid her head on his chest, letting her hair fall over her eyes, hiding her from the rest of the world.

“Let me replace your seals.” He pulled his arms out from under the blanket and sealed her home. “Do you have enough strength to replace your genjutsu?” He asked her, taking her silence for compliance.

She nodded, raised her hands and made the signs as he watched.

“Where did you learn genjutsu like that? That’s is on par with the Uchiha.” He asked her curiously as he wrapped his arms around her again and settled into the blanket with her.

“From an Uchiha, who is dead and gone now.” She said quietly, not sure of how he would react if she told him she had learned it from Sasuke, or who Sasuke was..

“Ah.” He murmured, not wanting to press her just now. “Tell me later and I will listen.” His chin rested over top of her head.

“Promise.” She drew back a little, looking up into his eyes.

It wasn’t a question, but a demand, he didn’t understand...but he trusted her. He could feel it, her need, her desire to let him in, to...trust him. “I promise.” He told her, and he meant it.

“Thank you Tobirama.” Sakura sighed once more, relaxing fully into his embrace, letting sleep take her, not even opening her eyes when he scooted both of them down, further onto the bed, laying her over his chest, his arms around her waist.

“I feel like I should be the one thanking you, Sakura.” He closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of flowers and something light, something he only smelled when he was around Sakura.

It was morning when he woke, something small and insistent pulling on his hair...his hand rose to meet another hand, his eyes snapped open, his arm tightening his grip on…

”Sakura.” Tobirama twisted his neck to look down and sideways at the woman laying over his chest with her fingers in his hair.

“Tobirama.” Sakura looked up at him, eyes green, cheeks flushed. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” Her tongue darted out wetting her bottom lip as she continued to look up at him.

“No, uh…” He swallowed. He had never slept with a woman before, never held one this close or… “It’s quite alright. Do you, know what time it is?”

Sakura shook her head. “I can, make us some tea and maybe some breakfast?” 

“I should go.” He said abruptly and began to pull away from her, stopping halfway off the bed and turning back to her. “I’m sorry I...your chakra last night was distressed. I came to check on you. I was worried.” He added gruffly, sliding the rest of the way out of her bed.

Sakura nodded, trying to keep her arms at her sides. She wanted to reach out to him, to pull him back into bed with her but…”I won’t keep you but…” She began then stopped when he walked out of the room. Sakura frowned.

Tobirama ran his hands through his hair. He had been so foolish, so stupid. He had acted impulsively and now...she hated him, he knew it. He was no better than his brother. He had taken advantage of her, had slept with her and now she…

“Tobirama?” Sakura stood at the door of her sitting room, hands against the frame, eyes bright and moist. “Are you, did I...last night…”

“It was a mistake. I’m sorry, please forgive me Sakura.” Tobirama bowed low. “I was not thinking and I…” Damn it, he had taken advantage of her, laid hands on her, and now look at her, she was looking at him like he had done something foul to her, like he had…

“A mistake?” Tears flooded to her eyes. “I thought that you, that we.. I mean at times it seemed like…” She turned back to her room. She couldn’t look at him anymore, his hair so like Kakashi’s, his red eyes looking at her with such intensity and regret…

”The mistake was mine, forgive me.” She stumbled as she walked back to her bedroom and shut the door behind her.

“Sakura I.” He wanted to tell her he was sorry, that he had enjoyed holding her, that he wanted to hold her again but...she had started crying and guilt had consumed him. Was it him? Was there something else he should have said?

Tobirama shoved his feet into his boots, shut her front door and jumped to the nearest tree. He would give her some time, some space to think and to, to what...he shook his head as he ran back to the Senju compound.

Hashirama met him at the gate, his hands in the pockets of his over shirt, his eyes hard. “Where were you Tobirama?” Hashirama asked his brother once he had landed in front of him.

“I was with, Sakura brother. She needed someone to sit with her through the night. She was distressed.” Tobirama said truthfully.

“I see.” Hashirama took in his brother's wrinkled clothes, the slight pink tint to his ears and the not so direct look in his eyes. “Well, I hope she is feeling much better this morning after your...attention. Come, we leave for the Uchiha compound in an hour and you need to...change your clothes.”

“The Uchiha compound?” Tobirama fell into step alongside his brother.

“We go as peace delegates. I have accepted and signed Madara’s peace treaty as of last night. His response and invitation arrived first thing this morning.” Hashirama told his younger brother as they walked to the main house. “We go as allies to celebrate our new found peace...between the Senju and the Uchiha.”

“Does the council know? Did the elder’s agree?” Tobirama was shocked. He knew his brother had received the formal treaty scroll from the Uchiha but he also knew he had shoved it in the bottom drawer of his desk after he found out they had lost their cousin Toka in their last battle.

Tobirama had pushed for Hashirama to sign it. Telling them that peace could only be achieved through treaties and agreements, that shinobi needed laws and order, rules to follow to maintain stability...something he had told his brother after Kawarama had died, and then again after Itama had died. He hadn't thought his brother had been listening to him but now it seemed…

“Why now? Why sign it now, months later?” Tobirama placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder forcing him to turn around and look at him.

Hashirama didn’t answer his brother right away, but held his posture, a hardness in his eyes, anger behind his clenched jaw. Tobirama took a step back.

“Brother, what...what is it?” Tobirama asked, wary of his brother’s sudden...angst.

Hashirama saw his brother’s hesitation and immediately schooled his face into placid regret, pain and disdain.

“I am tired of fighting. I’m tired of watching our men and women die needlessly. Madara has never sent a peace treaty to us before. I should have signed it and sent it back to him right away...I’ve done it now, that is what matters.” Hashirama shrugged Tobirama’s hand from his shoulder and walked away leaving his brother to either follow him, or not.

Tobirama watched his brother walk away from him. Something had changed in Hashirama. Was it Sakura? Was it because he...cared for Sakura that his brother was acting like this? He ran both of his palms over his face and followed his brother into the main house. He would need to speak with him later. They were leaving in an hour. He needed to get ready.

Izuna found his brother in his office that morning, pouring over a long official looking scroll.

“What’s that Madara?” Izuna asked his brother as he sat down in the chair opposite him.

“Our peace treaty that I sent the Senju after our last battle a few months ago. Hashirama has just signed it and sent it back to me. I woke early this morning to send them an invitation to the compound, to celebrate, to make it public and official.” Madara looked at his brother’s stunned face over the top of his steaming tea cup. “Our war with the Senju...is over Izuna.”

Izuna stood up abruptly, his fists clenched to his sides. “I didn’t know you sent them a peace treaty after our last battle.” He stared at his brother in anger. 

“You’ve never answered that fool’s requests for peace before, why now? Why now!” Izuna placed his palms on his brother’s desk and leaned forward. 

He thought he would be happy for peace, he had told Sakura it was what he wanted, but he never thought his brother would sign the treaty. He never thought the Senju would agree to their terms either.

“You said yourself, before the last battle, Izuna...that you didn’t even know why we were fighting anymore. That you couldn’t remember why we had started fighting in the first place.” Madara reminded his brother. “I will be honest with you, I never answered you because...I don’t know either.”

Izuna sat back down in his seat and looked out the window. He sighed. It was no use. Madara had made up his mind and he would do what he always did. Stand behind him and support him.

“Well, I guess we don’t need anymore of those soldier pills then huh? I was going to drop more herbs off to Sakura today, I just wanted to wait a bit and see if the Nara responds to my request for more antlers.”

Madara felt it...like a tick against his skin, a surge of loathing and hatred just at the mention of the Tennyo’s name...Sakura. They weren’t his feelings though, they were...it was something else. Madara shook his head. His brother was looking at him expectantly.

“Sorry Izuna, what did you say?” Madara looked at his brother, ignoring the voice in his head.

“I asked how you were feeling, after last night, when you collapsed?” Izuna gave him an odd look. “Are you daydreaming again?”

“You remember collapsing right? Right after Sakura collapsed, you did too. I put her in her bed and carried you home once she woke up. I think I smoothed things over with her for the most part but she was really tired so I left, so she could rest. I told her I would come back today with the herbs...she told me to leave you at home when I did.” Izuna laughed.

“I don’t think you made a good first impression on her brother.” Izuna’s grin faded a bit as he recalled some of the questions he had wanted to ask Madara the night before. “How did you know where she lived, Madara? ...and why did you keep calling her a Tennyo?”

Madara shifted in his seat and looked out the window of this office. “I saw her one night after one of the countless war meetings, over by the Naka River. I had gone there to be alone to...think.” He looked down at the scroll in his hand. “She was...barely clothed, standing on a rock, her arms reaching up and out to the moon. She was so beautiful.” He said quietly.

“I thought...her chakra signature was so low and so...delicate. With the way she was dressed I thought she was a Tennyo, her clothes were so unusual, cast down to earth by kami. Her hair and eyes, they glowed in the moonlight. She was...the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.” Madara blushed and looked away.

Izuna couldn’t believe it. His brother was blushing over a woman. A beautiful woman, one he admired too but his brother...Izuna burst out laughing. Madara scowled at him.

“What’s so funny?” Madara demanded.

“You see a beautiful woman by a river in the moonlight, and you just assume she is a Tennyo?” Izuna laughed harder and harder, his chest was starting to hurt again. He laid a hand over his still recovering wound and tried to still his shaking mirth.

“Is that why you acted so...so….” Izuna started to laugh and groan again as his chest continued to ache.

“Yes.” Madara hissed. It was a half truth. One half of which he didn’t know how to explain to himself much less Izuna.

“I went looking for her again, when you were in Tanzaku. I followed the river to where I had first seen her. I saw a dip, where the water had changed. Upon closer inspection it was clear that it was man made, that someone had diverted the river for their own use. I followed it.” Madara shrugged.

“To her house.” Izuna pierced the rest of the story together. “So then, you knew. You already knew Hashirama had made that house, you would have recognized his jutsu then, why didn’t you...say something?” Izuna demanded.

“I thought I had imagined her. She wasn’t there, she was in Tanzaku with you.” Madara leaned back in his chair. “What would a Tennyo want with the Senju?”

“What would a Tennyo want with the Uchiha?” Izuna countered, his brow raised as he watched his brother fidget before him, something he had never seen him do...ever. “What would you have done if Sakura had been home that night brother?”

“I was determined to find her cloak, her wrap.” Madara said defensively to his brother and to the thoughts he knew had been in his head that night. “I didn’t mean her any harm.”

A menacing cackle sounded in his head.

“So she would stay with you.” Izuna was familiar with the tale. Madara had read it to him many times when they had been younger. It was one of his favorite folk lore.

“So you...now that you know she is a woman, a kunoichi…” Izuna looked down at the desk between them. It was the same desk they had been sitting at when Madara had given him permission to pursue Sakura. Before he had known who she was.

Madara shrugged. “After last night, I doubt she will ever want to speak to me again.”

“True.” Izuna agreed, his eyes still fixed on his brother’s face. “...but if she forgave you?”

“I don’t know.” Madara said honestly.

“Hn.” Izuna said, gazing out the office window with his brother.

Sakura stared at her new chicken coop and blinked several times before narrowing her eyes and grinding her teeth. Hashirama had made her a chicken coop, filled it with chickens...and a rooster…

She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Picking two eggs up from under one of the nesting rails she closed the door to the coop behind her. “Why don’t chickens ever lay their eggs in their nests, why do they always lay them in the dirt under the rails.” She sighed.

Sakura moved around her new home, looking through the rooms, the kitchen and the garden. Hashirama really had made her a beautiful home but...she sighed. It was too big. It made her feel even more lonely than she had felt before.

Her thoughts went to Tobirama as she filled her smallest pot with a minor water jutsu and set it to boil over the fire. He had left in such a flurry of awkward words and broken sentences that morning that she wasn’t sure what to think.

Hadn’t he come to her last night because he had felt her chakra flare when she had released her seal? Hadn’t he come to be there for her? She remembered how he had gathered her up in his arms, how he had laid back in her bed with her on top of him, how nice it had felt to have someone so close again, him.

She thought that...he had felt the same but...maybe she had been mistaken. He had almost fallen over his own feet to leave her bed that morning, to run from her that...Sakura frowned as the water in her pot began to boil. Sakura added the rice, stirred, then sat back in her chair by her cooking fire.

She smiled thinking of how Kakashi had acted when they had first started dating. It had happened suddenly and yet, it was as though they had always been dating, and that they just hadn’t known it. 

One day he came over for dinner with Naruto like usual,and had stayed after, to help her clean up. They had turned the television on and they had watched a movie together. She had fallen asleep, her head laying on his shoulder, he had wrapped an arm around her...she had woken up to his lips on hers...and he had stayed the night.

The next morning he had avoided her eyes, had left before the coffee had finished brewing in the pot and then had proceeded to avoid her for the next five days, turning down a different street if he saw her walking his way, jumping to the trees if she showed up to train with him and Naruto...until she had had enough and confronted him.

Sakura laughed. Maybe...she and Tobirama needed to have a talk, after she got back from the Uchiha compound.

First things first. Sakura needed to speak with Madara Uchiha, something she really didn’t want to do. She needed to know if he had felt Zetsu like she had and if...he knew of their connection.

Sakura stirred her eggs into her pot of rice and removed it from the fire. After breakfast. Everyone knew not to confront World dominating bastards before breakfast.


	23. Chapter 23

Tobirama glared at Izuna from across the small private table in the Uchiha main house. Izuna glared at Tobirama, his fist shaking under the table where no one could see, but all could feel the tension.

The Senju had been received by a formal display of Uchiha, Madara at the front as Clan head, his brother Izuna to his right with numerous prominent members of their clan standing behind them.

Hashirama had bowed respectfully to his old friend, and Tobirama had inclined his head to the Uchiha and their assembled counsel from his right, their own counsel bowing behind them..

The tension between the two former enemies only seemed to increase as the Senju were led to the main house. No one spoke as tea was served. No one blinked as rice cakes were set out in decorated platters each plate set in front of their guests, to honor them, by allowing them their first pick of the cakes.

“Your compound is very beautiful Madara.” Hashirama was the first to speak.

“Thank you Hashirama.” Madara inclined his head.

“I see that you favor Sakura trees.” Hashirama nodded to the beautiful trees just outside of the common room where their new spring growth could already be seen dotting their branches.

“I do, very much.” Madara’s eyes darted to the younger Senju, who seemed to twitch in his seat at the comment.

“Do you not like Sakura trees, Tobirama San?” Madara asked Tobirama with a lit to his voice that was anything but casual.

“Not typically, I do however find beauty in the unexpected.” Tobirama did not bow his head, nor did he make the expected polite incline of respect when answering the Uchiha Clan head.

The Uchiha counsel members, who sat with the Senju counsel, at the two adjacent tables began to murmur angrily at the young Senju’s obvious slight. Madara seemed neither to notice nor to be bothered by the younger man's antics. 

“The unexpected, hum.” Madara looked at his old friend Hashirama, he saw his eye twitch...ah, so that’s the way of it then.

“Have you been to the river recently Hashirama?” Madara picked up a rice cake and bit into it, chewing slowly, considering his words carefully.

“I have. Much has changed since we were there last, as children.” Hashirama picked up a rice cake from the same plate as Madara and bit into the sweetened rice.

“Umhum. Such as...houses that used to be cabins?” Madara saw the younger Senju twitch again, his dark eyes darted to Hashirama, there...a twitch to match his brothers.

“You know.” Hashirama said flatly. Of course Madara knew. Hashirama broke out into a joyous laugh, utterly fake and completely set up to throw the others in the room off guard.

Tobirama wasn’t fooled...nor Madara. Izuna looked at the Senju Clan head with apprehension. He had heard of the man’s outgoing boisterous attitude, but had never witnessed it first hand.

Hashirama slapped his hand down on the table, a moronic grin still plastered to his face. “Beautiful house no?” He asked Madara who nodded, his own tell tale twitch to his mouth evident to any who cared to look...and Tobirama was looking..

“Very, you’ve outdone yourself old friend.” Madara smiled at his old friend for the first time out of battle in many years and the tension in the room dissipated just a bit.

Hashirama nodded his understanding to Madara. There was much they had to say to one another in private, but that could wait. There was clan business to take care of. They could speak of Sakura...later.

Izuna shifted on his cushion. He could see the silent communication between his brother and his long time rival and childhood friend. His eyes met Tobirama’s, who had seen it too. It was really happening...it was starting to sink in...there would be peace. Two of the fiercest, strongest shinobi clans in the history of shinobi were...allies now. This was history.

Tobirama could see the thoughts pass over the younger Uchiha’s face. The same thoughts Tobirama himself was having, and relaxed a little more. This could work. It would be hard, there was no doubt. He knew that not everyone had wanted peace. 

There would be arguments amongst the clan members, perhaps clashes but… in time, they would stop, in time both clans would see why their leaders chose to unite. He knew that his brother’s sudden signing of the counter treaty agreement had piqued the anger and curiosity of many in their clan, but if peace could be found...he wanted it and he begrudgingly acknowledged the truth he saw in Izuna’s eyes. He wanted peace too..

“Too many have died for our father’s selfish war.” Hashirama said, drawing everyone’s attention to him.

“Our brothers.” Madara looked at Izuna, his last living brother, then at Tobirama. “Remember when we were younger Hashi?” Madara’s voice was lighter.

Izuna stared at his brother.

“...when you couldn’t skip a stone across the river to save your life? I remember.” Hashirama laughed. “You were so pathetic!” He slapped his palm down on his knee joyously, grinning at his old friend.

Madara felt the sudden pain in his head but ignored it. “Pathetic, was cheating at racing up the cliff side. Acting like you were depressed, garnering my concern, so that you could speed up the cliff side ahead of me, you cheating rat.” Madara was smiling now, much to the surprise of his counsel.

Tobirama watched his brother. He had no idea that they had been...that good of friends. The way they were talking now...so many years later...he looked down at his hands ashamed. Was it his fault? If he hadn’t told their father about Madara, would he and Hashirama have found peace for their clans sooner...if it wasn’t for him, would Toka still be alive? It had been a mission though, his father had given him a mission and he had obeyed.

“At least I could beat my own piss off the cliff!” Hashirama roared, nearly falling over on himself at the hilarity only he and Madara could truly appreciate.

Madara glared at Hashirama. “That’s because I peed more than you! You know I can’t stop peeing after I start!” This was ridiculous, Madara thought. It had been ten years and still the man was an insufferable ass when it came to competition between them.

“...and you used to deliberately stand behind me, you know I can’t pee when someone is standing behind me.” Madara crossed his arms over his chest...and just like that...the two clan heads were fourteen again and best friends.

‘I can’t pee when someone is standing behind me’, Izuna mouthed his brother’s words as though he couldn’t fathom his elder brother doing such a thing as peeing off a cliff side, then trying to race his own urine to the bottom. With wide eyes he looked from Hashirama back to his brother, to the white haired bastard sitting across from him. He saw the same...confounded look on the normally stoic Senju’s face.

...and burst out laughing. The whole situation was so surreal to him that...he just couldn’t help it.

“Oh kami...really? You two used to race your own piss down the side of the cliff?” Izuna looked at Hashirama who continued to laugh, not as loudly, but laughing nonetheless.

Tobirama’s mouth twitched.

“Did, either of you...get hit by it in your um...haste to get to the bottom before it?” Izuna’s lips were twisted in a sickening humor that wasn’t lost on the aging counsel members of both clans.

“Well, uh, there was one time that…” Hashirama began but Madara lunged across the table and clamped his hand over his friend’s mouth hissing, “Don’t you dare tell them that!”

Tobirama had reacted on instinct. They hadn’t brought any weapons with them, as it was a peace negotiation but he had his hand on Madara’s wrist and Izuna, acting much like Tobirama, had his middle finger pressed into Tobirama’s throat.

“Easy.” Hashirama looked from Izuna to Tobirama. “I won’t tell anyone okay?” He smiled at the younger brothers.

Madara laughed out loud, setting everyone at ease. “Yes, let’s not ruin our new found peace over...childhood competitions.”

All the previous tension was gone as the second round of tea was served. Izuna looked up to find the younger Senju looking at him thoughtfully. Izuna set his tea cup down and nodded...cordially, to Tobirama who hesitated for only a moment before returning the nod.

Madara shared a look with Hashirama, they had both witnessed the small miracle...this would work their eyes seemed to say to one another. Peace, would work.

The next several hours were spent in political discussion, argument and partial hostility. The hostility coming from both the Senju and the Uchiha counsel who didn’t wish to give up the land gained in the last ten years to the other, or from those who didn’t wish to share trade secrets, rates or commodities.

In the end, the basic outline of the original treaty agreement between Madara and Hashirama, was met.

Hashirama rubbed his eyes as lunch was served, the atmosphere being much more relaxed now that the politics were over, and rested his elbows on the table much to his brother’s displeasure.

“So, have you met her, or did you merely notice my wood jutsu?” Hashirama asked Madara in between bites of fried vegetables.

“Met, isn’t the word I would use to describe our first official meeting.” Madara smirked while Izuna rolled his eyes.

Hashirama’s grip on his chopsticks tightened. Madara quirked his eyebrow at the man. Hashirama shrugged and set his chopsticks down to pick up his tea.

“You’ve spoken with her then.” It wasn’t a question.

Madara nodded. “...and you?”

“Several times.” Hashirama didn’t elaborate anymore than Madara about his interactions with Sakura.

“The house is beautiful. You put quite a bit of effort in it to impress her.” Madara’s voice was calm, casual but his words were not.

“She may need the door to her bedroom replaced though.” Madara glanced at Tobirama, noticing his change in posture. It was more rigid, more attentive.

“That was you?” Tobirama narrowed his eyes at Madara. He had of course noticed Sakura’s shredded bedroom door when he had gone to her last night and again when he left her this morning.

“You were there this morning” Izuna joined the conversation, his voice sharp and hostile.

“Last night.” Tobirama countered Izuna’s hostility. Just as interested to find out what kind of relationship the Uchiha had with Sakura, as they were in finding out what kind of relationship the Senju had with her.

“What the hell were you doing there .” Izuna asked, he didn’t even try to hide his annoyance from the room. “Sakura is under the protection of the Uchiha, if you…”

It was Tobirama’s turn to laugh cutting the man off, albeit much more subtly than his brother.. “She does not need the Uchiha’s protection, nor the Senju’s, but she has our friendship.” Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest, daring the younger Uchiha to speak further.

Hashirama watched Izuna puff himself up and wondered...the man acted as though…he cleared his throat. “Would you like to take a walk after lunch Madara? As part of our new treaty, we have a village to build, we should probably decide where we’re going to build it.”

Madara nodded. “I assume you still want to build it where we were thinking before?” 

“Yes, only…” Hashirama paused.

“Sakura.” Madara nodded in understanding.

“What about Sakura?” Tobirama asked, not understanding what Sakura had to do with where they planned on building their new village together.

“Her house is in the middle of where we had planned to build our village when we were children.” Hashirama told his brother.

“Well, she’s not going to like that is she?” Tobirama shook his head imagining the words of protest coming out of the woman’s mouth.

“Who said she had to move? We can build around her.” Madara looked at his friend who beamed at him.

“An excellent idea Madara! Sakura can be part of our new village!” Hashirama was genuinely pleased. It was, after all, what he had planned anyway.

“What if she doesn’t want to be part of our new village?” Izuna looked pointedly at his brother. “You can't make those decisions for her. I don’t know her very well but I know she won’t stand for you ordering her around, especially you.” 

“I, surprisingly enough, agree with Izuna San. Sakura would not like that you two are sitting around deciding her future for her.” Tobirama acknowledged the offered nod from Izuna and continued to add, “Particularly after your last argument brother.”

Hashirama understood what his brother was saying but this was different. “Tobi, this is different.” He protested. “This is for peace. She asked me the other day why we were still fighting with the Uchiha, that it seemed pointless to her, she will be glad to hear of our new alliance. I know it! I think she will be more receptive to joining the village than you think.”

“I didn’t say she would refuse to join Hashirama, I said that she wouldn’t like you making such decisions without asking her first.” Tobirama stood by his claim. Did his brother not learn from his mistakes…

“Then let's tell her. Let’s tell her of the alliance and of the village we plan to build together and ask her, if she wants to join us. Her house is already built.” Izuna smiled from one face to the other warming to the idea.

“I’ll tell her.” Madara surprised everyone.

“I’ll go with you, it is only proper.” Hashirama added.

There were things Madara wished to address alone with the woman, but he couldn’t deny his friend this request, not when their alliance was so new. Madara nodded. “We will go after lunch then. You and I Hashirama, will speak with her, tell her our plans and hope...the news is well received.”

Madara looked at Izuna. “Gather the herbs you promised her, a deal is a deal. Have you heard back from the Nara?”

“I haven’t checked since the arrival of our guests. Allow me to do so now.” Izuna rose to his feet and bowed out of the room.

“Herbs?” Hashirama asked his friend.

“Sakura agreed to make soldier pills for us. Pills we no longer need due to the alliance, but I placed the order with her and mean to follow through. Although, she refused half of our last payment, cleverly skipping out on Izuna before he could pick the merchandise up from him in Tanzaku Town.” Madara explained.

Sakura knows how to make soldier pills?” Hashirama was amazed and looked at his brother, did he know?

“She was making those for you? Izuna was her client in Tanzaku?” Tobirama felt like hitting something. He was so angry with himself that he hadn’t seen the dark look his brother gave him for not telling him this very important detail about Sakura, but Madara noticed.

“Yes.” Madara saw the red creeping up the younger Senju’s neck and Hashirama burst out into another fit of uncontrollable laughter surprising everyone, Madara included.

“Some sensor you are Tobi! Your arch rival was commissioning medical goods from Sakura right under your nose!” Hashirama continued to laugh at his brother while Tobirama continued to turn red in the face.

Madara’s keen eyes took in the curious interaction between the brothers...so, the woman was a sore spot between them, like she was for Izuna and himself...interesting.

“You know as well as I do it is difficult to discern signatures in Tanzaku.” Tobirama grumbled.

“Interesting. So you were her traveling companion.” Madara scratched the underside of his chin thoughtfully. “It seems fate has a very quirky sense of humor.” He smiled to himself burying his face in his cup of tea. 

Very quirky indeed. He looked forward to witnessing the Tennyo’s reaction to their visit as well as seeing her again in a more appropriate setting. He would need to control himself this time. It wouldn’t do to show weakness in front of Hashirama and he wanted to get into the Tennyo’s good graces...like the Senju apparently were.

Sakura was sitting at the small garden table Hashirama had made for her surrounded by flowers. She had spent the better part of her morning picking and sealing the ripe fruit from the fruit trees that lined her new garden before it could fall to the ground and rot.

Among the many beautiful flowers that Hashirama had planted for her, she found several medicinal plants. She didn’t know if he had purposely provided her with the plants but thought it unlikely. The flowers of the foxglove were beautiful and the scent coming from the aconite was very pleasing to the nerves. While they had much more use to her, for their medicinal properties, she also enjoyed their beauty and fragrance.

It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was out and a gentle breeze lifted her hair from the back of her neck playfully as she sat and looked around her garden. She wasn’t ungrateful for his efforts and now that she had more time to take in her surroundings...she felt a bit guilty for getting so angry at him. He had, in his own way, tried to apologize for almost kissing her.

Almost...Sakura touched her fingers to her lips. No, she hadn’t wanted Hashirama to kiss her but his brother, Tobirama...her face flushed. “Nidaime Sama.”

Tobirama was the second Hokage and he had...spent last night holding her, Sakura Haruno, in his arms comforting her while she slept. Sakura swallowed her tea, it went down the wrong pipe and she began to choke and laugh at the same time. The Lord Second Tobirama Senju had been in her bed last night.

It was...unbelievable and yet, they were men, just regular men...no...they were legends, they were…

Kakashi had been a legend in their time as well. Sakura drank her tea more carefully relaxing into her chair. 

“Kakashi.” She murmured her old sensei’s name, it caught on the spring breeze that lifted her hair up and over the side of her face like a caress, like his hand sweeping over her cheekbone. She could almost feel him beside her, could almost hear his voice asking her how her tea was, what her plans were for the rest of the day...if she liked Tobirama Sama holding her while she slept.

Sakura jerked in her chair, spilling her tea down the front of her shirt…”Shit.” She cursed.

‘You’re not here’, he had said to her. Neither was he...and he never would be again because she remembered... The Uzumaki time seal was two fold. It sent the intended back in time, a time of the casters choosing, and then sealed them there. She couldn’t go home. She would never see her Kakashi again.

“Sasuke, you fucking bastard.” She whispered to no one, because no one was there to hear her pain and flowers, didn’t talk.

She remembered, no matter how hard Kakashi had tried to spare her the pain of her memories, she remembered what Sasuke had done, she knew what Kakashi had done and why...and she knew that Naruto’s last act for her had been to protect her…

Sakura placed her hand over her heart. “Naruto.” She missed him.

“Ino, Kiba, Shikamaru, Hinata, Sai, all of you...Shisou...Kakashi…” Sakura laid her head in her arms as she leaned into the table and wept. “I’ll never see any of you again.”

“The war.” She mumbled into her sleeve as she continued to rest her head on her arms.

“Madara Uchiha.” She sat up straight in her chair, her mind starting to race over everything she knew would happen. 

“White Zetsu is dead, I killed him so...black Zetsu…” She already knew but now that she had more time to think of it...how much control did half of Zetsu have over the Uchiha clan head? Could he have control if his other half was gone?

Sakura leapt to her feet and looked around her clearing, realization crashing into her like a tsunami. “Konoha!” She exclaimed, her head turning to look at the looming cliff side behind her house.

“I’m in the middle of fucking Konoha!” She grinned. She was home and suddenly...her situation didn’t seem all that bad.


	24. Zetsu and the Infinite Tsukuyomi

Tobirama followed his brother and the Uchiha as they walked through the woods toward Sakura’s house. 

Izuna had returned shortly after Madara’s request with both herbs and the Nara antlers that had arrived via deer summons while they had been talking. The council had finished their lunch and had left ahead of the Senju brothers to announce that negotiations were complete and that the building and joining of their two clans would commence as soon as a suitable location could be agreed upon. 

A location, they were walking toward now, together.

Izuna remained at the Uchiha compound at Madara's insistence and Izuna's verbal displeasure claiming Sakura would appreciate him being there as a buffer between her and his brother. A comment that had both Senju looking to Madara for an explanation, which he refused to give.

Hashirama allowed Tobirama to walk with them as far as Sakura’s home, as it was on the way to the Senju compound, but told him he too wished to speak with the woman alone. Tobirama, like Izuna, did not fully agree with this proposal, but for entirely different reasons...or so he thought. Tobirama however, respected his brother’s decision and made little protest as they walked through the woods.

Sakura felt them before she saw them, set her kettle to boil over the low fire in her kitchen, and walked outside to greet them. Her knees shook lightly as she watched the men's heads appear over the rise one by one. None of them were suppressing their chakra...it was nearly overwhelming.

She could feel it. His chakra...it was the same and yet, it was different both from last night and from what she remembered from her war. It was lighter than last night, it wasn’t as dense and overbearing as it had been during the war...when his hatred and his desperation had been at its height. He seemed almost...normal at the moment, powerful, but...calm.

She saw Madara’s spiky haired head first, then Hashirama’s...then Tobirama’s white hair. Sakura swallowed, Tobirama was dressed as she remembered him to be in her dream...when he had told her the choice was hers...him or Kakashi, but there was no choice was there...Kakashi was gone, living in a time that was now closed to her.

She watched the men pause at the edge of her clearing, making sure she was aware of their presence, before stepping out of the treeline into her open space. Tobirama’s kimono shirt was tied with a simple yellow band, His plain darker blue pants complimented his lighter blue shirt with it’s white trim. He wore no armor, no fur collar and no...happuri around his face.

He was quite handsome...Sakura blushed as she met his eyes. Lord Second. He had always looked so stern and so serious in all of the paintings of her youth when learning about the past and present Hokages. She had never imagined that the Lord Second when stripped of his armor could be so...sexy. Sakura bit her bottom lip quite unconsciously.

Hashirama watched Sakura watch his brother, seemingly oblivious to his or Madara’s presence, but he knew...she knew they were there and yet...her eyes remained on his brother.

Hashirama stepped out in front of the others and bowed formally.

“Sakura, I believe you’ve met my friend, Madara Uchiha?” Hashirama waved a graceful hand at the Uchiha clan head who also bowed his head, but not from the waist as Hashirama had.

“Met, yes, you could call it that.” Sakura said carefully. Hashirama was here at her home with, Madara Uchiha...did that mean that they…

“We have news Sakura, that we wished to tell you in person, as it um, has to do with your location.” Hashirama said delicately.

“They want to build their new village where your house is.” Tobirama said bluntly. He had noticed the way she had been looking at him...perhaps he had misunderstood her this morning.

Sakura blinked. “Oh.” Of course they did. 

“You would not be required to move your home. We would build around it.” Madara spoke, his voice deep, calm...his eyes fixed onto hers.

Sakura seemed transfixed by the man. Hashirama noted how her bottom lip trembled just barely and how her fingers flexed at her sides. She seemed to move her foot back, as though ready to drop into a defensive stance, then thinking better of it, moving it back in line beside its fellow. Was she...afraid of Madara?

Sakura could feel it...black Zetsu, only...it was weak. His presence wasn’t nearly as strong as it had been the night before. Her eyes went to Hashirama, was it because of him...was it because Hashirama was so close to Madara at the moment? She could feel the weight of their eyes as they waited for her to speak. 

These men, these three men who until recently, had been names in her history book, two of which had been faces on the cliff behind her, and one of them had been...the worst adversary she had faced in her life.

“Build around it.” She repeated Madara’s words. Sakura tried to recall if there had ever been a home such as the one she had now in ‘her’ Konoha...but there wouldn’t be, would there. Her Konoha already had her in it. Here...she had taken a small abandoned cabin as her own and Hashirama had made it into what it was now. She turned and looked at her house behind her.

None of it would be there if she had never been there...an old worn cabin, they would have torn it down to build over it. She turned back to the three men in front of her. Would they be here now? Or later? What had her presence here changed?

White Zetsu was dead.

Black Zetsu was still inside Madara...she could feel him...but was he hiding, knowing she had killed his other half, or was Madara aware of him and suppressing him, ignoring him?

Madara waited patiently for her to answer, his arms at his side, his shoulders relaxed. This was not the same man she had encountered last night, even his energy was different, calmer...smoother...more refined and subtle, almost...pleasant.

“Where is Izuna?” She asked him.

Hashirama frowned. Why was she asking about Madara’s brother…

“He could not come with us, there is much to be done in preparation for our new village. The Senju and the Uchiha have just signed an alliance. He sent this though.” With the agility of the legend that followed his name, Madara sent the storage scrolls with all of her needed ingredients flying at her head with one quick flick of his finger. 

Sakura whipped her hand up from her side and caught it before it could make contact with her face. Madara grunted in amusement.

“So fast.” Hashirama grinned, just as fast as he had remembered her to be. “Did you see that Tobi? Did you see how fast Sakura is?”

“I saw.” Tobirama watched Sakura unfurl the scroll reading through the multiple seals. She was fast...

“Are they still needed?” Sakura looked from Hashirama to Madara, her thoughts plain.

“Can’t hurt to have them on hand, with their year long shelf life.” Madara smirked as Hashirama gasped. 

The woman, he noted, didn’t seem at all surprised to hear of their alliance. It was almost as if she had expected it. Madara turned to his friend who was sputtering beside him in annoyance. Had he always been this annoying?

“A year?” Hashirama gawked at Sakura who shrugged. Hashirama cleared his throat.

“Ah yes well...there were a few things that Madara and I wished to speak with you about Sakura, if we may?” Hashirama recovered from his shock quickly, casting a pointed look at his brother, he wanted Tobirama to leave. He didn’t like how Sakura kept looking expectantly at his younger brother, as though she were expecting him to say something to her, as though she had something to say to him.

“Yes, of course but if you don’t mind...I would like a word with Tobirama first please?” Sakura resisted the urge to add the honorific Sama, it would cause too much suspicion now after addressing them so informally. It had felt natural for her to address them without the honorific before, now it felt disrespectful, knowing what she knew.

“Of course.” Hashirama smiled a fake smile, one Madara was well aware of.

“I’ll just be a moment, please um, step inside if you like.” Sakura walked down the steps of her porch, past the two imposing clan heads, careful not to brush against Madara or step too close to him, to Tobirama who’s eyes hadn’t left her since his arrival.

“Tobirama…” Sakura began once Madara and Hashirama had closed the front door to her home leaving them alone. “About last night and this morning…”

“Please Sakura, do not apologize, the fault is mine. I shouldn’t have stayed with you. It was a mistake.” He cut her off.

“Was it?” She asked him. “Do you regret staying with me and comforting me then?”

Tobirama hesitated. “No but, it was improper of me to assume that…” He looked down at her, her eyes were shining and...she was so close...he hadn’t realized she was so close to him.

“I wanted you there.” She said quietly. “A lot happened last night. I’ve come to understand my situation better. I was very...lost last night and you helped me.”

“Thank you for being there for me last night Tobirama.” Sakura waited, she could see his hand twitching at his side. She could see his chest moving, he was trying to control his breathing. The history books never told you of them as men, they only told of their greatness...as heroes but never of their humanity, their normalcy.

“I do not regret welcoming you into my bed.” If he wouldn’t say it, she would.

Tobirama lifted his hand and brushed the curve of her cheek. “I do not regret breaking into your home then.” He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers.

Madara watched Hashirama tap his fingers on the table top in annoyance. “Would you just relax, she is only talking to him, she’ll be back in a moment.” His own nerves were already shot, he didn’t need to sit here and watch his friend fall apart before his eyes.

“Is it that obvious?” Hashirama ducked his head in the slightest bit of embarrassment.

“Yes.” Madara said simply. “I don’t blame you though. When I first saw her by the river...I thought she was...a Tennyo.” He admitted.

Hashirama grinned. “A Tennyo hum?”

Madara shot his friend a dirty look. “It was night and there was a full moon.” He defended himself.

Hashirama made a small humming noise in the back of his throat and Madara’s face began to turn red.

“At least I didn’t build her a house, oaf.” Madara waved his hand around the kitchen encompassing the whole home in one gesture.

“I made her a garden too.” Hashirama smiled.

Madara rolled his eyes, it was just like Hashi to go overboard. “I’m sure she loved that. An independent thing isn’t she?”

Hashirama nodded. “She didn’t have anything though.”

“She only took half of the money the clan owed her for making those pills for Izuna.” Madara commented, adding to what both of them knew about the woman.

“She tends to lose herself in thought frequently, though I will say there is something...different about her today. She seems more, aware or focused I should say. She is always aware.” Hashirama remembered their first cautious meeting.

“How long did you watch her before approaching her?” Madara guessed.

“A month.” Hashirama wasn’t surprised by Madara’s question. They had always been like that with one another. They had always been able to see inside, beyond the laughter, beyond the ruthlessness.

“A month hum. How long has it been since you first spoke to her then?” Madara was curious about how close his friend and his Tennyo might be.

Brown eyes surveyed his friend. He knew what Madara was reality asking. “I have no official claim on her, no one does but…” He paused unsure how to explain his feelings for the woman.

“She is afraid of me. I acted rashly last night and may have...scared her.” Madara told his friend before Hashirama could speak. I don’t know what came over me.”

Madara looked confused, upset. “What did you do?” Hashirama asked, genuinely curious as to what had happened between Sakura and Madara last night.

“I entered her home without announcing myself. Part of me thought...she was still a Tennyo, not a kunoichi but she corrected that line of thought...rather quickly by shredding her bedroom door with kunai wrapped in a genjutsu taking Izuna hostage.” Madara shook his head. “I knew then, she was a shinobi and not a Tennyo but…”

“Where did she come from Hashirama?” Madara asked.

“I don’t know, she refuses to say, says she can’t remember.” Hashirama rubbed his arm absently, thinking over what Madara had told him. “Why didn’t you just knock on her door or flare your chakra?”

Madara frowned. “Honestly, I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking I just...wanted to see her.”

Hashirama grimaced...great. He understood the impulse. His head turned to the kitchen door. They could hear the front door closing. 

“She’s coming.” He said unnecessarily and sat down at the table beside Madara as Sakura entered the kitchen, her cheeks flushed a small smile on her face.

“Is everything alright Sakura?” Hashirama asked her. She looked far too pleased to have had a casual talk with his brother.

“Hum?” Sakura smiled absently, lifting the kettle from the fire and pulling three mugs from her shelf that Hashirama had made her. Her earlier apprehension upon seeing Madara again seemingly lost now.

“You seem distracted.” Madara crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

“You seem more normal today.” Sakura countered, her eyes focusing on the mugs before her, steam rising from each mug as she added the herbs and stirred them… “Less insane.” She said without thinking.

Sakura handed Madara a steaming cup of tea, her hand forcibly steady after her snark, their eyes met and she gasped as black faded from his pupils, tomes spinning lazily in his red eyes. He didn’t have the Eternal Mangekyou she noted before dropping her gaze, refusing to look Madara in the eye. What had she been thinking, looking Madara Uchiha in the eye...

“I apologize.” Madara said gently, pulling his chakra from his eyes and tapping the table by her hand to let her know it was safe to look up. “It was an accident.”

Sakura looked up to see that his eyes were once again a dark coal black and not the terrifying red of the Eternal Mangekyou that she remembered from the war. She let out her breath that she had been holding and nodded.

“You are familiar with the sharingan.” Madara said calmly, not at all offended that she had just called him insane, quite boldly, then had cowered at his sharingan...well, perhaps not cowered but it was clear that she feared it.

“Yes.” Sakura set one of the remaining two cups of tea in front of Hashirama, then sat down with her own on the other side of the table.

“I am familiar with the Uchiha’s sharingan.” She said. There was no use hiding it, he had already seen the recognition in her eyes. 

“How?” Madara suppressed the urge to grab her from across the table, to force her into submission and to tell him how familiar she was with his clan’s kekkei genkai.

Sakura felt the sudden surge of hatred fill the room, could feel the cold intent seeping into her bones as she looked at Madara Uchiha. She had mixed feelings about her next move. How does one tell him...them, her eyes flickered to Hashirama who was watching her intently like his friend...about her unique situation.

Should she tell them?

“First tell me...have you heard a voice in your head? Last night or any time before that, now maybe? Urging you to...kill me?” She asked him.

“Nonsense Sakura.” Hashirama laughed, then looked at his friend, the laughter dying in his throat. “Right Madara?”

The Uchiha didn’t speak. He looked at Sakura with a calculated sort of expression on his face that Hashirama had seen many times before. He was deciding on how much to tell her, trying to guess how much she knew about him and finalizing on the best way to extract as much information from the woman without giving more than he was willing away.

“Up until last evening, I too heard a voice in my head.” Sakura offered to make the first move.

“Did you.” Madara continued to look at Sakura and Sakura continued to look at Madara.

“Yes and I know, you have something in you...something dark that needs to come out.” She jumped back and out of her seat just in time to avoid his punch. The wood of her seat splintered and cracked under the sudden impact of his fist.

“Madara!” Hashirama was on his feet, his body in between Sakura and madara. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Sakura rose from her skidding crouch and stood against the wall, by the door to her kitchen. “Tell me, was it the voice, did it tell you to do that Uchiha Sama?” 

She could see the indecision in his eyes, one eye trying to call forth his sharingan, the other remained black as night. He was trying to maintain control. He was fighting black Zetsu…

“It was quiet, until yesterday.” Madara pressed his hand to his head making Hashirama’s eyes go wide. “It seems most restless, around you.”

Sakura took a deep breath and threw all caution to the wind. “It’s name is Black Zetsu. I killed it’s other half, White Zetsu, yesterday...ripped it from inside of my subconsciousness and eliminated him.”

Hashirama blinked. “What?”

“Can you...do the same for his other half, this, Black Zetsu? Can you get him out of me?” Madara was moving toward her, backing her up against the wall, his fist braced against the wall beside her head. “...and tell me, what is this thing that thinks it can control me...Madara Uchiha?”

Hashirama whirled on his heel to face them, Madara had never moved so fast before...he hadn’t even seen him move…

“I used almost all of my reserved chakra to get rid of White Zetsu...I’m not sure if...I can pull Black Zetsu from you right now without dying.” She told him honestly. “He is stronger than White Zetsu I think.”

Hashirama made a small noise of protest but they ignored him. Madara’s eyes were fixed on the woman before him.

“How long, and are you sure?” Madara asked her seriously, his face pained, his eyes glazed. Sakura recognized it as one of her own afflictions.

“With my chakra pills and proper rest...a week.” She guessed. “Maybe a week and a half.”

Her Yin seal was different from Tsunade’s. After the war, Sakura realized how to accumulate chakra faster with much more stable results than before, if she diverted more than 80 percent of her current pool to her reserve and took the new chakra pills she had modified for the sole purpose of regaining chakra faster, longer. It took weeks, not years to fill her pools to completion.

“If I don’t use any chakra for a week, I should be able to help you.” Sakura swallowed her doubts. Black Zetsu was not White Zetsu. Even in the short interactions that she had with him during the war and their time fighting the Akatsuki, he had always seemed the more evil of the two, more vicious and heartless.

“I believe you. I’ve seen...you before. In my head.” Madara forced his hand from his head. “Tell me Tennyo, why does this thing insist I will one day rule the world and make everyone’s dreams come true?”

Sakura pressed herself up against the wall as far as she could go. He could see the unfiltered fear in her eyes. “In your head, you…”

“Please.” The Uchiha asked her again.

“It’s called the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Zetsu, White and Black, tricked you into casting the genjutsu called the Infinite Tsukuyomi on the world, to free its mother the Rabbit Goddess, Kaguya Otsutsuki...the mother of all chakra, the one who...in the beginning ate the fruit of the kami tree and became the first being to use chakra.” Sakura said as Madara fell into her arms unconscious.


	25. Can they fight?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NM
> 
> Reminder...no one in this fic is really cannon, nor are the past, present or future events.

Hashirama lifted Madara from Sakura’s arms and carried him out of the kitchen through the sitting room and laid him down on the bed in her bedroom. He stepped back and let Sakura pull a blanket up and over his friend, and waited for her to step away from her bed before asking her his questions.

“How do you know these things? How did you know Madara heard this voice in his head and how do you know it’s name?” He demanded, barely keeping himself from grabbing her and shaking her. 

She understood the urgency in his voice, she wasn’t the woman he had thought she was. She was dangerous because she had knowledge that others didn’t and she had been hiding so much more from him than he had ever expected.

Sakura knew she had to be careful and chose her words wisely. She could see the suspicion growing in Hashirama’s eyes...and she couldn’t blame him. Up until now, he had seen her as a harmless lone kunoichi, skilled but harmless compared to him. 

Now, he saw her as the woman that had information about something plaguing his childhood friend, possibly, the person responsible for his ailments. Now, she imagined he saw her as a threat to everything he had been working towards. He had finally brokered peace between the Senju and the Uchiha and now, with only her as a witness, the Uchiha Clan head had fallen ill in his presence.

It could ruin the alliance and start the wars all over again...she understood.

...at least that’s what she thought he had been thinking.

“You said you pulled one from inside of yourself? Did you create it? Can you create more? Is it sentient?” He asked her one question after another. “Can it fight?”

“Can it fight?” Sakura didn’t want to jump to conclusions, she didn’t want to assume the worst...Hashirama was a good man. Everyone said so...that’s what they had been taught at the academy. He was one of the founder’s of Konoha. He was the kami of shinobi...a good man.

Madara, he was the power hungry defector, the one who had given up on their childhood dream, the deserter, the one who had left the village...the one who had betrayed them…the one who had tried to destroy her world, and yet she could feel Hashirama’s intent. 

It was darker than before, not evil but...not the kind of emotional intent she would ever expect to feel from the free laughing, kind loving Shodaime that she knew, that she was led to believe in.

“Forgive me Sakura.” Hashirama laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head, sensing her scrutiny. “In my curiosity I seem to have gotten carried away.” He smiled easily at her.

Sakura stood there, transfixed. It was gone, the shade of doubt, the smooth dark color of...deception. Had it been there at all, or was it... She looked over her shoulder at the Uchiha in her bed...could it have been...Black Zetsu?

No...he was in, Madara...

“Sakura? What’s wrong? I’m sorry if I was too pushy, I’m just really curious, so strange what happened.” Hashirama waved to Madara’s unconscious form.

“No.” Sakura said slowly. “You’re fine. It's a lot to take in. I understand.” She fixed her face into a polite indifference, like she had when they had first met. Sakura was sure that she had been mistaken, she was sure it was just her nerves, but it never hurt to be cautious. 

Like the Leaf had kept Itachi Uchiha’s true involvement in the Uchiha massacre...so could the Shodaime be keeping his intentions from her. Call it a hunch...

“I know this will be terribly disappointing to you but I don’t know. I can’t remember.” Sakura brought her hand to her head, it didn’t hurt anymore, but it’s what she would have done...before.

Hashirama had never pushed her, not before and he wouldn’t push her now...not yet. There was time. They were going to be building a village together, soon, she would be trapped, there would be nowhere for her to go, but to him.

“Is your head paining you? Tobi told me that your episodes seemed to have gotten worse since Tanzaku. Can I get you anything? Some more tea?” Hashirama ran his hand up and down her arm, starting at her shoulder, all the way down to her fingers, letting his hand rest momentarily over her hand before moving back up to her shoulder in a deceptively smooth and innocent manner.

“No, I’m fine.” Sakura looked at Madara again. “I think...he must be suffering from the same thing that plagues me. If so, it would be best to let him sleep.”

She didn’t want to be left alone with Madara Uchiha, but she felt it would be best if Hashirama left. Their last exchange left her, wary of the man.

“Of course Sakura. Let us go outside, we can sit in the garden until he wakes. It is still early afternoon. I would like to be here for him, if anything should happen.” Hashirama knew she wanted him to leave, but he wasn’t about to pass this time up with her and he certainly wasn’t going to leave her alone with Madara in her bed.

“Of course.” Sakura smiled politely and led the way to the table she had been sitting at before they had come earlier that afternoon. She had no concrete reason to kick him out...Madara would wake soon, she was sure of it, and when he did...they could leave, together.

Hashirama sat down across from her and smiled pleasantly. “How do you like your garden Sakura?” He asked, none of the shady intent detectable out in the sunny garden, making Sakura relax just a bit.

“It’s beautiful Hashirama, thank you for making it for me.” She smiled at the flowers that surrounded her, taking one of her soldier pills from her pouch and crunching it between her teeth. She didn’t wish to waste any time in pulling Black Zetsu from Madara. The sooner the better, for all of them she thought.

Hashirama watched her chew in silence, replaying the morning events over again in his head, and all of his interactions with Sakura up until this moment. 

“Izuna told us this morning that you know how to make chakra pills. Is that one of the chakra pills you just ate?” He asked her nodding to her pouch.

“Yes, would you like one?” Sakura pulled another pill from her pouch and handed it to Hashirama who took it from her with a soft smile on his lips.

“It’s so small.” He peered at the small pill in his hand. “Who taught you how to make them?” He looked back up at her, his middle finger of his left hand twitching and swirling in slow small circles under the table, out of sight.

Little creeping vines moved along the edge of the garden path, slowly, furtively. One by one small blue blossoms appeared every few inches on the new vines, yellow pollen dusted their stamen, and was carried around the garden on the soft gentle spring breeze.

Sakura sneezed. “Excuse me.” She sniffed and rubbed her nose, eyes watering slightly.

“My shisou taught me how to make the soldier pills but I have long since modified the recipe to fit my own personal preferences.” Sakura scratched her nose that had begun to itch.

“How interesting.” Hashirama tried to hand the pill back to her but she told him to keep it as she sneezed again. He slipped the pill into his pocket and brought both of his hands up onto the surface of the table, resting them casually one over the top of the other. “Who was your Shisou?”

“I...don’t know.” Sakura frowned and put her hand to her chest. Kakashi’s seal was broken...she shouldn’t be feeling...Sakura closed her eyes and her head spun. No, it was different, it was…

“Sakura?” Hashirama rose from his seat to stand beside her, one hand on her shoulder, the other picking up her hand cradling it in his own against his chest. “Are you feeling well dear, you look like you’re about to faint.”

She knew he was speaking to her. She could see his lips moving, could feel his hand on her shoulder but…”Hashirama Sama?” She whispered, her eyes opening and closing on their own.

“Would you like me to take you back into the house Sakura? Maybe you should lay down.” Hashirama leaned over the small woman and lifted her out of the chair without resistance and walked her into her home, the home he had made for her.

Madara was still unconscious on Sakura’s bed, but Hashirama had made her a large bed, there was more than enough room to lay her down on the other side so that his friend wouldn’t be disturbed and for Sakura to lay down comfortably.

“Hashirama Sama, what…” Sakura tried to speak but her mind couldn’t decide on which words she wanted to say. She turned her head to the side and saw Madara beside her. “Madara Sama.”

“Shh Sakura, don’t worry. He won’t be disturbed. Just close your eyes and rest, everything is going to be fine.” Hashirama sat down on the bed beside the woman, and brushed a few wayward strands of her pink flossy hair aside.

She could see him looking down at her. She could see his soft brown eyes watching her intently as though...he were looking for something, waiting for her to do something but what, what did he expect her to do? Sakura closed her eyes as her head began to spin.

“Who are you?”

Sakura heard the Shodaime’s voice...low and sweet as if he were speaking to her through a dense fog or from behind a mask. Anbu, her mind supplied the reference to what her ears were hearing...a masked man. A man who was not who he appeared to be.

“I am Sakura.” She answered slowly.

“A beautiful name, for a beautiful woman.”

The Shodaime’s voice came to her again, just as foggy, just as muffled. There was a soft touch to her lips, like fingers, parting her lips...a thumb slow and soft moving over her top lip, slowly running back and forth over the sensitive skin as another finger slid slowly into her mouth, gently probing her tongue.

“Where are you from my beautiful Sakura?”

The finger was pulled slowly back out of her mouth…’so you can answer him’, her subconscious told her.

“Here.” She gasped as the finger wet her bottom lip with her own saliva.

“Where is here, Sakura?”

The Shodaime’s voice was husky now, slow like trickling water. 

The fingers moved from her mouth down the column of her neck, slowly tickling the skin under her chin, moving in small precise circles to her collar bone and rested against her skin, just inside the collar of her shirt that Tobirama had given her.

“Where we are, I don’t...understand Hashirama Sama, why are you asking me these things?” She asked, her eyes still heavy in her head.

“I want to get to know you. You fascinate me. From the first time I saw you in the woods, alone...so beautiful sitting at the base of a tree, digging for winter carrots. You stood too tall to be a peasant, your eyes were too sharp to be a civilian...I followed you, watched you...hungered for you.”

His hand slipped further into the recesses of her shirt, his fingertips tracing the curve of her upper breast.

“Where is your home Sakura, where are you from?”

Sakura frowned, something was wrong, she felt weighed down, trapped like she was…

“My home does not exist.”

She began to squirm under his touch. Hashirama removed his hand from her shirt, his eyes searching her face. She shouldn’t be moving by now. His pollen should have completely incapacitated her. Who was this woman…

“Why are you here Sakura, is this...are you on a mission?”

He asked his last question quickly, it was clear...she would regain her composure soon...too soon for his liking. She must have a natural resistance to poisons and other natural chemicals, something he ought to have taken into consideration having found out she had some medical knowledge. He sighed there was always...next time.

“No Hashirama Sama. I am not on a mission, but I can’t go home.”

Her voice was sad, he almost...almost felt bad for what he was doing to her, but then she breathed deeply, her chest rose and fell, the fabric of her shirt clung to her breasts…

Hashirama leaned over quickly, flicked his tongue out and over her lips, his hand cupped her chin...and he kissed her, pushing his tongue into her mouth. As quickly as he had set upon her, he withdrew and walked out of the room before he did anything else to her that she might remember when she woke.

_Madara stood beside Sakura and looked around at the masses of gathered shinobi. There were shinobi of every nation, every rank and caliber, gathered together in one place. He had never seen anything like it before in his life. What the hell were they doing there…_

_“Sakura, do you think...we stand a chance against someone like Madara Uchiha? I mean, he was one of the founders of Konoha, he was a legend. A man like that...kunoichi like us...we don’t stand a chance.” A beautiful blonde beside his Tennyo said in a quiet voice, her arm linked with Sakura’s._

_Madara stiffened...what had the blonde said?_

_“Ino...if we all thought like that, we’d never win. Look at Gaara up there, no one thought he would ever become Kazekage, look at him now, look at what he was to what he is now. If you go into this war thinking you can’t win, you’ll die Ino.” Sakura’s eyes were hard, unyielding. “He is just a man, not a god. Just like Gaara was just a boy, not a monster.”_

_They were at war with...him? That was...impossible..._

_Such pretty words, but did she really believe them? He looked up at the tall platform where several men stood looking down at the gathered shinobi. His eyes found the man his Tennyo had gestured toward. Kazekage? Wind shadow? He didn’t look like anything special. Madara turned back to Sakura who was checking her weapons pouch._

_“Here Ino.” Sakura handed the woman named Ino a small bag of pills. “The red ones are for blood regeneration, the brown are soldier pills and the green ones are strictly for stamina, do not take the green ones unless you are dead tired, do you understand?” Sakura asked her friend._

_“Yeah.” Ino nodded. “I understand, thanks Forehead.” The blonde smiled and hugged her friend._

_“No problem Pig.” Sakura hugged the blonde._

_Madara scoffed at the pet names the women had for one another, his eyes roaming over the gathered shinobi. All of these shinobi had gathered to fight against...him?_

_“Besides…” Sakura’s voice had his head turning back to her. “It might not be the real Madara, that masked man said he was Madara Uchiha but I mean, that’s like almost impossible.”_

_Madara watched the blonde nod her head...so, it might not really be him?_

_“Hey, I think...Gaara is getting ready to speak, pay attention.” Sakura looked up at the red head and smiled._

_Madara felt a pain in his head that shot down to his spine. He groaned...he tried to look where Sakura had been looking but the faces of the shinobi around him had started to fade. He looked at Sakura, she was looking at him, not through him but…_

_“Madara, what are you. Oh my gosh, what the hell are you doing here?” Sakura tried to grab his arm but her hands passed through his, her face began to fade and blur like the rest of his surroundings...and then…_

His eyes opened slowly. It was bright, so much brighter than it had been in his...dream. His head was pounding and his mouth was dry. He flung his hand out reaching for...he didn’t know what he was reaching for but his hand met something soft and warm. He turned his head to the side. He was lying in a bed next to...Sakura. Oh, he was in her bedroom, that’s right he had passed out.

Sakura was laying next to him in the bed, her eyes were shut, she was asleep. He watched her breath in through her semi parted lips, then breathe out just as gently. Her lips were slightly puffy, he noticed and her shirt was...Madara pushed himself up to a sitting position and looked around the room for Hashirama. He was nowhere in sight but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still there. 

Madara doubted he would have left Sakura alone with him, in bed with him, willingly. The man was clearly as obsessed with the woman as he was himself. Madara pulled the blanket from his body and laid it over Sakura before climbing out of her bed to look for Hashirama. Just as he was drawing his hand back and away from the woman, he had the sudden urge to...choke her and to...was that the Black Zetsu she had spoken of…

Pushing himself to move away from her, Madara left Sakura safe in her bed, and went to find Hashirama. He found him by the river. Their river, skipping stones, like they used to do when they were kids.

“Can you make it to the other side, Madara?” Hashirama turned and threw his friend a flat stone.

Madara caught it easily with a grin. “We aren’t kids anymore Hashi.” Madara whipped the stone across the water skipping it seven times before it fell on the other side of the river.

“Why did you drug her Hashi?” Madara sat down beside his friend in the gravel of the riverbank.

“I needed information from her that she wouldn’t give me otherwise, you know how it is.” Hashirama replied without looking at him, not at all surprised his friend recognized what he had done.

“Why kiss her?” Madara asked, even though he knew the answer.

“I wanted to.” Hashirama said without remorse or embarrassment. 

Madara nodded. It had always been like this between them, since the beginning. No lies, just brutal honesty. If one didn’t want to answer, they didn’t, but they never lied to one another. 

“You might consider handling this more delicately.” Madara told his friend in clear warning.

“What do you mean?” Hashirama asked him curiously, not at all offended.

“Sakura healed Izuna of a fatal wound. If she hadn’t healed him...he would be dead right now.” Madara looked over at his friend. “She heals faster and more efficiently than I have ever seen you heal yourself Hashi. She is more valuable than a pretty face to warm your bed.”

Hashirama had already known Sakura was more than just another pretty face, no matter how pretty she was, but he hadn’t known...that she could heal people with her chakra, or as well as Madara claimed she could.

“I need her to help me with this thing inside of me.” Madara said quietly, his request clear.

“Fine. I’ll keep to myself. For now.” Hashirama said evenly, thinking over Madara’s words. “How did Izuna get injured?”

Madara shifted in his seat and picked up a stone beside his knee, running his thumb over the water smoothed surface. “I attacked her, she dodged and then left me a...present. Izuna jumped in front of my fireball jutsu and got the brunt of it.”

Madara threw the stone out across the water, skipping it three times before it fell short of the shore and sank to the bottom of the river. He frowned and Hashirama laughed.

“She left a trap for me, Izuna sprung it and got a wired kunai through his chest for his efforts and his stupidity.” Madara picked up another stone. “She infused the trap with her chakra Hashi, the kunai went straight through his body, from front to back...and she healed him...on the spot with only her chakra in less than thirty minutes.”

Madara stood up, swung his arm back gracefully and snapped his wrist. The stone flew from his fingers, skipped seven times and landed on the other side.

“I know you want her. I want her too. So does Izuna...and I think it’s safe to say that your little brother, Tobirama does too. I don’t mind sharing her with you, but Izuna won’t want to...and I doubt Tobirama will either.” Madara looked down at his friend who was still sitting on the rocks at his feet.

“Yeah.” Hashirama stood up, skipping stone in hand. “You’re probably right.”

Hashirama threw his stone. It skipped eight times, he watched as it landed on the other side of the shore next to Madara’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, three chapter day post. I'm done for the night. Will work on next chapter tomorrow. Hope you liked the...real Hashirama...


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NM
> 
> I was pleased that my off-color Hashi was well received. Thank you for all of your comments, praise and support.
> 
> I am writing a fine line between lust, obsession and possessiveness for Hashi, as well as his need to share with Madara, for now.

_Sakura was standing in the forest, on the edge of the natural clearing...north of the Naka River. She recognized the cliff, the small caves that dotted the cliff wall that would later be made into training grounds for the Lord Fourth...and Jiraiyah Sensei._

_“Hashirama!”_

_Sakura turned just in time to see a brown blur run past her, jump over the treeline into the air and race up the side of the cliff wall behind her._

_“Insufferable ass.”_

_Sakura looked over her shoulder to see a teenage Madara coming to a running-walk behind her, glaring after the brown blur as he took his time to walk to the bottom of the cliff wall. She followed him._

_“I win!” A boy, that she recognized as Hashirama, called down to Madara, who stood at the bottom of the cliff, looking straight up at his friend._

_Madara huffed. “Of course you win you idiot, you cheated.” He muttered to himself and began to climb the cliff side with chakra infused feet. Sakura followed alongside him, curious._

_“Took you long enough.” Hashirama was grinning at his friend as Madara walked up and over the edge of the cliff to sit down beside him, frowning._

_“I don’t want to race you anymore if you’re going to cheat.” Madara said, bracing his weight with his hands behind his back leaning into them. Sakura sat down beside Madara to listen._

_“It’s not cheating if there is only you to tell me it’s cheating. You’re the only witness. It’s your word against mine.” Hashirama grinned._

_“That’s...that’s ridiculous! It doesn’t change the fact that it is still cheating, even if there is no one around to prove it is cheating, you still cheated!” Madara complained, giving his friend a dirty look. Sakura agreed with Madara. She looked at Hashirama, his furtive grin was...disturbing._

_“No, it’s all about perception. The way I see things, verses, the way others see things. The reality of the situation doesn’t matter if no one believes it.” Hashirama crossed his arms over his chest smugly._

_“I suppose, but it doesn’t change the fact...that it really is cheating.” Madara said with finality. “Even if you believe it isn’t, it still is. I mean, seriously. Just because you believe something, doesn’t make it real.”_

_“Of course it does!” Hashirama crowed. “That’s what I mean, if enough people believe it, it doesn't matter if it was real or not to begin with. It becomes real through popular belief.” Hashirama laughed._

_“Simple minded people maybe.” Madara mumbled._

_Hashirama laughed again. “That’s what I like the most about you Madara. You know what is and what isn’t and accept me for who I am.”_

_Madara nodded slowly. “It wouldn’t do otherwise would it? Neither of us can be who we really are around the people who matter most to us. Why not be ourselves...at least around one another.” He said quietly._

_Sakura frowned. Madara was...sensitive and Hashirama was...manipulative._

_“Promise, no matter what happens between our clans...we will always be us, when we are alone, like this as friends as...brothers.” Hashirama pulled a kunai from his belt and sliced his hand open. Blood welled up and dripped over the crease in his palm to fall between the two teens._

_Madara took the knife from Hashirama and cut his own palm. “I promise. Brother.”_

_Sakura watched as the boys shook hands. A promise...made in blood._

_“No one can know.” Madara said._

_“No one will know.” Hashirama nodded._

_“I know you’re a Senju, Hashirama.” Madara spoke the truth._

_“I know you’re an Uchiha, I’ve known for months.” Hashirama confirmed what Madara had already guessed._

_“This war…” Madara began._

_“It isn’t time yet. There is nothing we can do right now.” Hashirama cut him off, he had already thought of it._

_“When?” Madara asked._

_They both knew the answer to that though…_

_“When our father’s are dead and we are the heads of our clan.” Hashirama said confidently. “When that time comes, we will unite the clans and build the village we talked about, together.”_

_Sakura frowned, but they didn’t do that did they, they were both clan heads when the treaty had been signed in her time, but they had been the heads of their clans for some years before they had finally signed the treaty to end the wars._

_...and now, in the time she was in now...they had been to war many times after their father’s had died. They signed the treaty now though because...why had they signed the treaty and made peace now? Sakura turned to Madara who was speaking again._

_“Here. I want to build it here, where I can stand up here on this cliff and see anyone who dares try to harm our village.” He said with conviction._

_“A promise. One day, you and I Madara, we will end this pointless war. I must go. I’ve been gone too long. My younger brother, Tobirama has grown suspicious of my frequent absence, I suspect he has been trying to follow me.”_

_Madara nodded again and watched Hashirama jump down the side of the cliff and race off across the river and into the woods._

_“Why are you here Sakura...in my memories?” Madara turned to Sakura who jumped._

_“You can...see me?” Sakura stuttered._

_“I can see you.” he reached his hand out and cupped her face. “Be careful Sakura. You heard Hashirama. Things are not always as they seem.” Teen Madara bent his head and kissed the corner of her mouth._

_“Wake up. We’re waiting for you.” He smiled._

Sakura’s hand rose and touched the side of her mouth where teen Madara had kissed her. It tingled. Her eyes opened... she sat up, and immediately regretted it.

“Uh, my head.” Sakura groaned and held her head with both hands. The pressure was sickening.

“Oh thank kami you’re awake. I was so worried, we both were.” Hashirama rose from his chair at the table in her room to sit beside her on her bed.

Sakura flinched as he reached out for her hand. A cold had washed over her when she had seen him reaching out for her...she hadn’t meant to flinch away from him. Hashirama immediately stopped moving, his eyes alert, focused and...displeased. “Sakura?”

“I’m sorry Hashirama, I...don’t feel well, what happened to me?” She looked past Hashirama to the man sitting in a chair at her table...Madara Uchiha. “Madara…”

“Sakura.” Madara inclined his head to the woman. Her eyes were...unfocused.

“You fainted.” Hashirama reached up to place his hand on her forehead and she flinched again. He let his hand drop down to his lap. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright.” His voice was soft, hurt and…

‘Things are not always as they seem’, Madara’s words came back to her from her dream. Why was she still dreaming of him, them...if White Zetsu was gone…

“You were out for quite a long time.” Madara cocked his head to the side. “We weren’t sure if you were going to wake up again.” He watched her...her eyes were still a little out of focus and her breathing was shallow but she looked well. Well enough for having been drugged by Hashirama’s jutsu. A bit of color was coming back into her cheeks and he relaxed. She would recover just fine.

“How long was I unconscious for?” She moved her legs to the side of the bed and tried to stand up, but stumbled, slipped on her own weight and fell back onto the bed.

“Easy.” Hashirama said gently, careful not to touch her again, not to reach out for her, or to move at all.

“An hour.” Madara continued to watch her. She was unstable, clearly confused but she was moving on her own accord...only an hour after being drugged by Hashirama...she was...strong. He smirked. She continued to impress him the more time he spent around her.

Hashirama had told him that the effects of his paralyzing pollen should have kept her immobile and unconscious for over three hours, but that she had shown signs of awareness, even movement, after only ten minutes under his drug...and he didn’t know why. He had seemed angry at her resilience, something that bothered Madara.

She had slept for an hour, but they could both tell that she wasn’t fully unconscious. She had been talking in her sleep, speaking of things that were...unsettling to them both...things, she shouldn’t know anything about. Things he and Hashirama had taken great pains to ensure that only they knew.

“I’ll get you some water.” Hashirama rose from her bed quickly and walked out of the room.

“What did you see, before he comes back Sakura, tell me what you saw. I know you were dreaming about me.” Madara said quickly, quietly.

She paused for only a moment before answering him. “I saw you and Hashirama on a cliff talking about what was cheating and what wasn’t, and I saw you...make a blood pact, as brothers.”

Madara’s face went blank...with shock. He had only been guessing...he hadn’t really thought he had been right or that she would even tell him if he had been...she…

He remembered. They weren’t dreams then, as he had suspected...they really were memories. Which meant… those dreams he had of her were...real. 

Sakura had seen the realization cross his face but had kept her eyes hooded as Hashirama walked back into the room and handed her a glass of water. She had taken the offered glass of water from Hashirama and had drank deeply, giving herself more time to think about what Madara had asked her. ‘What did you see’...what had she seen, indeed.

...he had asked her purposefully when Hashirama had left the room. Madara didn't want his friend to know about their...connection. Sakura’s head snapped up and turned to Madara who was groaning and holding his head.

Their eyes met, a silent message, ‘Say nothing’, a nod and jerk of his head in pain, she tipped her glass back...an agreement had just been made.

“Madara?” Hashirama turned to his friend, he hadn’t noticed the subtle by play, so focused on Sakura that he was. 

“I’m fine, it’s nothing.” Madara lowered his hand and straightened up in his seat. “Perhaps we should go. There is much to be done now that the treaty has been signed and Sakura should rest. She has a parasite to pull from me.” He tried to smile, to put the woman at ease, but she wasn’t looking at him. She was looking at Hashirama with a carefully schooled blank look on her face.

“Yes of course.” Hashirama agreed wholeheartedly with Madara. 

He had pushed the boundaries far enough. It was clear the woman was conscious of something happening, even if she didn’t recall exactly what it was. It was best if he were out of sight and out of mind...for a few days, to set her mind at ease. Let her relax, he thought, let her help Madara, then...I’ll try again.

“If you need anything...um...do you have a summons Sakura?” Hashirama asked her in his usual voice.

“I… used to. I don’t know.” Sakura had forgotten about Lady Katsuyu.

“You don’t know?” Madara asked her, his voice skeptical.

“You used to?” Hashirama asked.

“If I lost it and I try to summon it...I’ll get swept away and now is not the time for that.” Sakura knew what happened to people who tried to call a summons without a contract and she didn’t know if hers held up through time and space. There was too much to do, she didn’t have time to learn and bond with another summons if her contract with the slugs was voided.

“I’ll send you a hawk to use if you need it.” Madara said briskly, rising to his feet. He wanted to leave...he wanted Hashirama to leave.

“Thank you...Madara.” Sakura inclined her head respectfully to the man, her apprehension gone, faded away like the voices of her dream.

Something had happened between his friend and Sakura. Something had changed...she was more relaxed around him...was it because of his pollen? Hashirama bowed to Sakura with a smile.

“I’ll check on you again in a few days, if you’ll let me?” He asked her, taking note of the way her eyes seemed to follow him, something she had done when they had first met but had stopped doing as he had gained her trust...until now.

Sakura didn’t speak, but she nodded.

Satisfied, Madara and Hashirama left, waving to her again from her bedroom door. She watched them leave, then looked out her window to watch them walk back into the woods. Together. Hashirama didn’t go West and Madara didn’t go East. She bit her bottom lip...they would be talking then, discussing the village no doubt...she was paranoid. She needed to relax.

Sakura sat back against the wall in her bed and sipped the water Hashirama had given her. Her hand jerked and she set the glass down on the nightstand. What if Hashirama had… Had he...poisoned her? Her head ached, but not in the same way it had when she had unintentionally tried to force her way through Kakashi’s memory seal, no this was similar to...the after effects of poison.

Moving swiftly, and a bit unsteadily across the room to her pouches, she pulled a corked bottle from her pouch and took out a small slim piece of paper, poison detection paper, and dipped it into her water. Nothing. It came up clean. 

Sakura sat back against the pillows of her bed...she could have sworn…

Reluctantly, she stuck her fingers down her throat and gagged up a bit of mucus, took another slip of paper from the bottle and dragged it through the goop in her palm. Nothing. Resigned to the truth of her paranoia she relaxed and closed her eyes. He hadn’t poisoned her. She laughed a little. What had she been thinking...the Shodaime poisoning her...why the hell would he do that…

Madara and Hashirama walked in silence as they slowly made their way through the forest by the river. Madara was thinking over the recent events, Sakura’s words and his observations, he was sure Hashirama was doing the same.

It was nice to have his friend back, but he could tell time had changed Hashirama. Their time apart hadn’t been pleasant for either of them and he wondered what had changed in his friend and what hadn’t. For the most part, Hashirama seemed the same, but as he told Sakura...that wasn’t always the case. He was his own example.

Madara was not the teen he used to be, not the man he thought he was, when he was still only a child...an adult in the shinobi world, but a child nonetheless. Was it the same for Hashirama? Did he feel it too?

“That’s a rather formidable poison Hashi. Sakura was still a bit dazed when she woke up.” Madara broke the silence between them.

“Yes, it is one of my stronger ones. There are different ones, for different situations, whatever I need really.” Hashirama smiled a brilliant smile, clearly proud of himself. 

“Did you see how sound asleep she was? I probably could have gone much further but her resistance to my poison was so impressive I didn’t want to risk her becoming fully aware in the middle of...well, you know, if I had taken her that far.” He waved his hand absently.

“You would do that?” Madara, for all his desires and all his wild thoughts...didn’t like the way his friend was talking. Was he really saying he would have…

“Do not misunderstand me Madara. I respect Sakura. She is a strong kunoichi, but she wouldn’t know. She wouldn’t even remember me being there much less touching her intimately, so no harm would be done, and if it helps her willingly accept my touch subconsciously after a time, even better for me huh?” Hashirama smiled at his friend. “I thought you wanted to share her?”

Hashirama stopped walking, waiting for Madara to answer him.

“I do but Sakura is very clever. I think your plan to drug her will backfire on you. I think she is more aware than you think. The best way to have her, is to earn her trust, to make her want to be with us.” Madara said carefully. Had Hashirama always been this manipulative...yea, he had.

Hashirama had already waited a month just to speak to her. He didn’t want to wait much longer to bed her. However, Sakura was a very skilled kunoichi and he had seen the mild awareness in her eyes. She suspected him, even if it was on a subconscious level...she knew more than she had let on. 

He had seen her flinch away from him, something she hadn’t done before. She had moved, she had blocked, avoided or simply backed away from him, but flinch...no she hadn’t done that before. Maybe Madara was right. He sighed.

“Well, it doesn’t matter right now anyway. I told you I would wait and I will.” Hashirama patted his friend on the shoulder and laughed. “You have to admit it though Madara, the temptation is there. Her mouth alone is...delicate and soft.”

“Yes, I will admit that. I have been tempted to touch her as well.” Madara paused, “I wouldn’t force her, but when I saw her for the first time by the river, I thought of it.” Madara admitted. “She isn’t really a Tennyo though.”

“No, she isn’t, but she is something special, isn’t she?” Hashirama smiled at Madara who smiled back.

“She is.” Madara agreed, pleased his friend had stopped speaking about how far he could have taken advantage of the woman. Knowing she wasn’t some mythical celestial creature to conquer and control had changed his perspective for her a bit and seeing her past, the trials she had gone through to become the woman she was now was...something he hadn’t counted on.

Madara hadn’t expected to have that kind of connection with her, with a stranger...but he liked it and he...felt he had a different claim on the woman now, different than the claim Hashirama was speaking of. Madara didn’t know what this meant. He wasn’t sure how he felt but he knew that he felt...something.

She had been dreaming of him, like he had been dreaming of her. She had murmured his name, as well as Hashirama’s. Hashirama had taken it as a sign that his poison had been working still but Madara thought it more likely that she had been thinking of him or them...like he had seen glimpses into her past. 

So he had asked her, quickly while Hashirama had gone to get her some water...and she had confirmed it. There was no way she could have known the things she did. He would have liked to speak to her more but...Hashirama’s presence inhibited him from doing so. It would have been too risky. Hashirama had heard her talking in her sleep as well. Had heard the words ‘brothers’ and ‘Unite the clans’...

Hashirama wasn’t as foolish as he wanted people to think he was, but he hadn’t had the dreams that Madara had, Madara was sure of it.

“So we agree to leave her alone for a few days?” Hashirama broke the silence again, not at all put off that Madara had lost himself in thought. He used to do it all the time when they were kids, the brooding bastard.

“Hn.” Madara nodded. “Three days.”

“Look uh, we don’t have to have rules you know. I trust you but we do have to keep up appearances, you know?” Hashirama smiled sheepishly at his friend. “She can be our little secret.”

“Secret?” Madara asked.

“No one needs to know we share her, not even her.” Hashirama nudged his friend. “You know what I mean?”

“I know.” Madara said, not sure he liked the sound of that. How could they keep a relationship with the woman a secret? 

“She needs to rest anyway. We’ll meet back at her home in three days unless something else comes up. We should meet to go over the perimeter of our new village anyway.” He added.

“Tobirama and some of our council should be there as well.” Hashirama added. “We should start building as soon as we lay claim to the land and the past land disputes are settled.”

“Agreed. A temporary camp will need to be set up, for the laborers. Some of the work will need to be hired out to civilians.” Madara said thoughtfully.

“Yes.” Hashirama nodded. “We should probably have another meeting over this. You talk to your council and I will talk to mine. Send me a hawk if you think we should meet sooner.”

“Right.” Madara shook his friend’s hand and headed East, back toward the Uchiha compound as Hashirama jumped across the river and headed West toward the Senju, tracking Madara’s chakra signature until he could no longer sense him to make sure he didn’t return to Sakura...alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We saw a little more into the connection that Madara and Sakura share with one another here. Madara spoke to her in a dream before she defeated White Zetsu, She spoke to Madara in the dream where the five great nations and the Land of Iron met for the first time as the Allied Shinobi Forces but she couldn't touch him, this time...Madara both spoke to her and touched her, with a kiss.
> 
> Their bond is growing...even if White Zetsu is gone. They are bonding on a subconscious level that no one knows about but them. Black Zetsu is still in Madara, but he seems to be in better control of it...when he is around Hashirama...
> 
> Remember about the tendrils of time in chapter 21?


	27. Shinrai, summons voided and a proposal, my blessing...

“How did it go?” Izuna was waiting for him by the gate.

“We have the basic layout. Sakura didn’t mind that we wished to build the village up around her.” Madara didn’t bother explaining that it hadn’t been discussed in detail, that she hadn’t actually given her consent to build around her home and that she had instead asked where he, Izuna was...the less Izuna knew about what had happened at Sakura’s home, the better.

“Was she happy with the antlers?” Izuna asked, following him to the back of the compound.

“Antlers?” Madara asked, not paying attention. Which hawk should he send...maybe one of his summons was here. Shinrai would be perfect.

Izuna rolled his eyes, “Madara, you did give her the scroll didn’t you?”

“Of course I did.” Madara reached inside the bamboo wicker platform that he kept his hawks in and pulled out a small black and brown female. 

“Good afternoon Shinrai. I have a mission for you.” He made several intricate hand signs, pressed his chakra into her collar and threw her up into the air.

“Where did you send her?” Izuna asked, puzzled at his brother’s actions.

“To Sakura. She said she wasn’t sure if she still had her summons or not and I wanted her to have a way to communicate with the Uchiha if she needed us.” Madara told him, walking back down the steps to the main road.

“How can she not be sure if she has a summons or not?” Izuna didn’t understand, a shinobi usually knew if they had a summons or not, unless it was inherited, but even then the shinobi still had to sign the contract presented by the summons to use them.

“I didn’t ask her. There are many strange things about our Sakura aren’t there?” Madara asked his brother as they walked toward the main house.

‘Our Sakura’, Izuna rolled his eyes.

“She’s definitely not like any woman I have ever met before.” Izuna smiled.

“Hn.” Madara nodded.

“Brother?” Izuna followed Madara into their house. “Are you sure? About this alliance with the Senju, are you sure it will last?”

Madara stopped outside the door to his room, turned to face his brother and smiled. “Yes Izuna, I’m sure. It’s long overdue don’t you think?.”

“I do.” Izuna nodded as his brother opened his door and walked into his room. His step was lighter, he seemed less weighted down...Madara seemed...happy and that made Izuna happy.

Tobirama tapped the end of the scroll lightly on the desk in his brother’s office. A messenger from the Land of Eddies had just delivered a private correspondence for Hashirama. He had tried to persuade the man to stay but the messenger claimed Uzumaki Sama had told him to deliver the missive and return immediately. The man had looked stressed and Tobirama couldn’t help but wonder what the scroll contained. He hoped that his brother would return soon.

He wondered how Sakura was taking the news that his brother and Madara wanted to build their new village where her house was...he hoped she wouldn’t be too upset, or worse, move. He wanted her to stay and live in the village as much as his brother but he also knew it wasn’t right to just assume she would stay or that she would even want to be part of their new village.

She had told him before he left, before he had...kissed her, that she had come to understand her situation better. Tobirama didn’t know what that meant. They hadn’t had time then to speak on it. He hoped they would have time to speak soon, before construction for the new village started. 

‘I do not regret welcoming you into my bed’, Tobirama’s ears turned pink and he smiled. He didn’t mind her welcoming him into her bed either. 

He frowned. How was he going to tell his brother? Hashirama clearly had feelings for Sakura but, she had chosen him, Tobirama, she had kissed him, not his brother.

Well, he had kissed her but she had let him, had kissed him back and...they had woken up in one another’s arms that day. It was special, it meant something. His brother would understand. He would have to. Tobirama had never felt this way about anyone before. Sakura had been the first woman he had ever kissed and he wanted her to be his last, his only.

He wondered briefly...if she had kissed anyone else before him. He shook his head, it didn’t matter. She had kissed him now and he was grateful.

Tobirama could feel his brother’s chakra signature. Hashirama was coming back from Sakura’s. Tobirama tapped the end of the scroll on his brother’s desk again. He hoped it was good news. When would they start construction he wondered. Soon he hoped, they would need all the time they could to get as much done as possible before the fall. It was the first of Spring, there was time to get a decent basic structure up.

The Senju compound and the Uchiha compound...could be built by their own clans but the village as a whole...maybe there wasn’t enough time now that he began to think about it. They needed to talk about Sakura, soon, there wouldn’t be anytime...they had a village to build after all and he didn’t want the shadow of jealousy hanging between him and Hashirama.

There was finally peace between the Uchiha and the Senju. This was a time to breathe, to relax and to build relationships. Tobirama looked out the window and nodded to his brother. Yes, it was best to get this out of the way, that way, they could both move forward without any misunderstandings.

Sakura stood in the middle of her garden, her hands behind her back, her nose twitching. Something was off, something wasn’t right but she couldn’t figure out exactly what it was. Something in her garden...had changed. It smelled differently, it felt...odd.

She had begun to feel not quite herself when she had been in her garden earlier, with Hashirama, after Madara had fallen unconscious. She and Hashirama had been sitting at her table conversing. 

Sakura moved to her table and sat down in the chair she had been sitting in before when Hashirama had been there. She felt that there was something here, something she just couldn’t see that would explain why she had passed out earlier, and why she had woken up feeling so ill.

Sakura tapped her fingertips against the wood of the table and looked around her garden, at the flowers, the trees, even the wooden slats of her pathways that ran through the center of her garden...the edges and...what was that… Sakura slid off her chair and knelt down to the ground.

Little grasping vines with tiny blue flowers were growing out of the wood that hadn’t been there before. She would have noticed their odd coloring. They were a vivid blue, too vivid to be natural. Sakura could see the yellow pollen residue along the petals of the flowers where it had been blown off in the spring breeze, or dislodged by bees and other insects. She had seen these flowers before, they were vaguely familiar to her but she couldn’t find a name to match their appearance. Where...where had she seen these vines before? Was it a clinical sketch in a book or...

With the presence of mind of a physician and a scholar, she held her breath, and snapped the end of the vine off, carried the vine with its flowers into her house, and corked it into a small glass vial. She felt that this vine, the flower and it’s pollen had something to do with why she felt so ill. She had seen it before, in one of her herbals or was it in one of Tsunade’s journals…

Sakura set the glass vial on her window sill and went back to her garden to make sure that was the only thing she could find that was out of place. It had been growing out of the wood of the pathway. She wanted to make sure there weren’t any other odd plants growing out of the wood in her garden. The wave of nausea had passed and her head was much clearer than it had been an hour ago but she could still feel a foreign...something in her system and was determined to find out what it was. 

Whatever it was, it had been incredibly strong. After battling Sasori of the Red Sand, she had taken it upon herself to both acquaint herself with and to build a tolerance for the more dangerous and formidable known poisons. Mentally, she had stored the recipes for their antidotes and was confident in her abilities...which is why this poison, for she was sure now that she had been poisoned either by accident or on purpose, was so daunting.

Just as she was about to kneel down on the ground, to inspect another part of her garden path, a shadow fell across the ground that had Sakura looking up into the sky. An elegant hawk was circling overhead, swooping down low, then rising into the blue again over and over. Sakura smiled. It was stunning in its features. Was that the hawk Madara had said he would send her?

She watched the hawk swoop and dance through the sky a few more times before it finally darted downward at an impossible angle, only to extend its wings and tilt them upward to slow it’s progress, landing soundlessly on the back of her garden chair.

“That was amazing.” Sakura bowed to the hawk with a sincere look of appreciation for it’s majesty on her face.

“Thank you.” The hawk bowed low, its wingtips sweeping the arms of the chair.

“You're a summons?” Sakura smiled. Madara had sent her one of his summons creatures.

“I am. Lord Madara has sent me to do your bidding. He assured me you were a kind soul who would not send me on needless tedious irritating tasks.” The hawk eyed her skeptically, as though to judge the legitimacy of her contracts claim. “From the way my lord described you, I thought you would be taller.”

Sakura laughed delightedly. “You have my word. I will only send you with a missive if it is of importance. I doubt the need will arise. It was very thoughtful of Madara to offer me your assistance.” Sakura inclined her head to the hawk, taller hum? Sakura smiled at the hawk. “I am grateful.”

“My name is Haruno, Haruno Sakura. Please, call me Sakura.”

The hawk nodded her approval at Sakura’s respect for formalities. “My name is Shinrai.”

“Trust.” Sakura laughed. She had never heard of Madara Uchiha’s sense of humor from her history books, but she was learning.

“Are you hungry Shinrai?” Sakura asked the hawk who continued to watch her as she looked around her garden for any other unusual flowers.

“Not at the moment, but thank you for asking. My Lord Uchiha didn’t tell me you were so accommodating Sakura.” Shinrai tipped her wind to Sakura in thanks.

“I don’t suppose he knows. We are...newly acquainted.” Sakura smiled as the hawk cocked her head left then right taking her words in.

“...and yet he sent me to you? How interesting. Of course Lord Madara is a very interesting human.” Shinrai began grooming her feathers, her sharp nimble beak picking out loose fluff, spitting it onto Sakura’s garden table much to Sakura’s annoyance...and amusement..

“Oh? How is he interesting?” Sakura sat down in the chair opposite Shinrai, giving the hawk her full attention.

“He is a very meticulous man, very clean in his person, an admirable quality.” Shinrai said seriously, spitting out more fluff. “He is very intelligent, gifted with exceptional endurance and self control.” The hawk added.

“Self control?” Sakura almost laughed. He hadn’t seemed like he had much self control the other night, barging into her house and attacking her in the night. Of course, she reasoned with herself, he also had Black Zetsu in him. An entity she hoped to rid both of them of very soon.

“Oh yes. Lord Madara has excellent self control. A reserved man, that one, very formal and...stern. He needs to laugh more.” The hawk nodded seriously, eyeing Sakura up and down as though determining her ability to make Lord Madara laugh. Sakura smiled at the hawk..

“I've only seen him lose his controlled manners twice. Once when his younger brother Izuna was gravely injured in a training accident, and when...he lost his only friend.” Shinrai told Sakura. “He only loses control when he truly cares about something or someone.”

“Hum.” Sakura said thoughtfully. “You’ve been with Madara a long time then hum? You seem to know him exceptionally well”

“Oh yes. I have served Lord Madara since I was hatched. His face was the first thing I saw.” Shinrai preened. “I am honored to tell you, I know him best out of all of his summons, and often accompany him on his longer, more strenuous missions.”

“Really?” That surprised Sakura. Why would Madara send this summons to her, instead of one that was...less important...unless he trusted Shinrai to report back to him...as a spy. Sakura laughed out loud. That was something she would do, if her summons weren't a slug.

“Shinrai, do you know if summons contracts are voided if the summoner who originally held the contract is displaced, such as, um...they are still alive but not in the same time frame as the summons?” Sakura asked her.

“Not in the same time frame?” Shinrai asked, not understanding what Sakura meant.

Sakura bit her lip, should she tell the hawk, she didn’t want it getting back to Madara, but...didn’t he already know, he had seen her past through his dreams, surely he must know she…

“If they travel through time.” Sakura clarified for Shinrai.

“Oh. What an unusual question.” Shinrai cocked her head to the left and then the right again. “You remind me of Lord Madara. He often asks me odd questions, I can see why he likes you.”

“What?” It was Sakura’s turn not to understand what the hawk meant.

“Tsk, never mind. To answer your question. Yes. The contract is made for one time and one place. In other words, if a human travels through time, they are no longer on their original life line. It is considered another life, so they must renew their contract with their summoning animal clan.” Shinrai said with a curt bob of her head.

‘Another life’, yes, this certainly seemed like another life to Sakura.

“Why do you ask? Are you looking for a new summons?” The hawk eyed her with dark beady eyes.

Sakura knew if she said yes, the hawk would know she was a time traveler, assuming she had a summons before...which Sakura never told her she did or that she didn’t. She had only asked, what if. However, she had asked, and that gave Shinrai her answer already...and both of them knew it. Sakura’s answer, was just a formality.

“A new summons, no, but a summons, yes.” Sakura watched Shinrai absorb her words.

Shinrai flew up into the sky in a burst of plumage and piercing shrieks, then landed back down gracefully on the back of the chair again. “Yes, I was right. You my dear, are just like my Lord Madara. He speaks without speaking, says without saying...how strange.” Shinrai didn’t elaborate. There was no need, Sakura understood.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Sakura smirked.

“As you should my dear.” Shinrai settled more firmly on the back of the chair while Sakura sat quietly at her table, enjoying her new company and the smell of her flowers that Hashirama had grown for her.

“This is…” Hashirama frowned at the scroll the more he read of it. “A marriage proposal.”

Tobirama’s head shot up from the sealing journal he had been reading. “For who, to who?”

“Ashina Uzumaki, the Clan head of the Uzumaki wishes to discuss a marriage between his eldest daughter and heir...Mito, and myself.” Hashirama set the scroll down on his desk as though it were something dangerous and explosive.

The Uzumaki were a prominent clan and shared distant blood with the Senju, like a cousin clan. Many of its members were married to the Senju and vice versa but…

“This can’t be the first you’ve heard of it brother. To send you a formal request to discuss details and specifics of the contract...you must have been in correspondence with them prior to this missive.” Tobirama looked down at the scroll in front of his brother. This was the first he, Tobirama, had heard of it though.

“Well, yes but…” Hashirama looked down at the scroll with a slight blush to his cheeks. “I thought I had more time. There has been correspondence between Mito and myself and it has been pleasant but…”

“...but?” Tobirama prompted his brother, anxious to hear more about this proposal. If his brother married Mito Uzumaki, he could pursue Sakura without remorse for his brother’s feelings.

“There hadn’t been any definitive timeline, no pressure, marriage was only hinted at. I had no idea she felt, or that Ashina wanted…” Hashirama looked up at his brother, his eyes wide and unsure. “I can’t get married.” Hashirama looked like he was about to panic.

Tobirama sighed. Some kami of shinobi he was…”Why not?” He asked his brother. “It is a good political match. The Uzumaki are well respected, known for their sealing jutsu and have exceptionally strong life forces, like us. Why not marry her?”

Tobirama knew why...Sakura.

“I...I have a village to build and...I…don’t have time to woo and” Hashirama was stuttering.

Tobirama sighed. “Is it because of Sakura?”

“Maybe a little I mean...I was hoping…” Hashi looked back down at the scroll. “I thought I had more time to see where it could go. Mito is wonderful, beautiful and kind but Sakura is...she is special and…”

“Hashirama, I wanted to speak with you about Sakura and I.” Tobirama sat down in the chair across from his brother and folded his arms on the desk top in front of him. “I kissed her, after we spoke outside of her house...and, she kissed me back. I wanted to ask your permission to court her.”

Hashirama stood up abruptly, his chair sliding back and away from him crashing noisily into the wall behind him. “What?”

Tobirama stood as well, he hadn’t expected his brother to react like this. Tobirama could feel his brother’s chakra rising slowly, unsteadily around them. 

“You have no claim on her.” He said carefully, lowering himself back into his seat. “You have a marriage proposal from the Uzumaki. Sakura is a kunoichi but she has no family to speak for her. You’re the Clan head of the Senju Hashirama, you can not marry a nameless woman who lives in the woods.”

His brother needed to be reasonable, there was a protocol to follow. Being the second son, Tobirama had much more freedom to marry than his brother did...and he had never been more grateful that he was a second son, than right now.

“...but.” His brother was right. Hashirama picked his chair up, righted it and sat down. “You…” He choked on his words. Things were changing too fast. Things he hadn’t planned on, that he didn't have control over. He hated not having control.

“I’m sorry Hashirama. I know you are...enraptured with her but...I think she cares for me and I know I care for her. I would like to pursue a relationship with her and I would appreciate your blessing.” Tobirama nudged the scroll toward his brother. “Mito Uzumaki is a good match for you. I have heard of her sealing skills and her beauty. Please consider their proposal, the wealth of the Uzumaki will be needed as our budding village attempts to gain a foothold in the shinobi world. The concept is new, there will be many trials ahead..”

“I see.” Hashirama sat back in his chair. He had no idea that his brother felt so strongly toward Sakura that he had started to develop such strong feelings for her. He had used the peace treaty between the Senju and the Uchiha to keep Tobirama busy and out of his way concerning the woman but… If he had known…

“Tanzaku?” He asked, assuming that is when they had...started to bond.

“Yes and...last night.” Tobirama didn’t elaborate. “I believe she feels the same, she had said as much and I ...trust her.”

Hashirama had never heard his brother speak this way of anyone before. Tobirama didn’t trust people easily. “You trust her.”

Tobirama nodded. “I know there are things she isn’t telling me, us...but I do not feel any ill intent from her. When she does speak, she speaks the truth.”

He understood. It was the same between himself and Madara. Did Tobi and Sakura have that strong of a bond so soon? Wasn’t his bond of friendship with Madara instantaneous as well though…

Hashirama picked up the scroll on his desk, opened it, and re read it twice before setting it down again. “I will...consider the Uzumaki’s proposal then.” He said quietly, pushing his jealousy aside.

Relief flowed over Tobirama like water, washing away his guilt and worry. 

“I will also consider giving you my blessing to…” Hashirama forced himself to continue. “...court Sakura.”

Again, Tobirama nodded.

“Madara and his brother, you know they are both interested in the woman as well?” Hashirama thought he should point out the obvious.

“I am aware, but they do not know her, as I know her.” Tobirama said confidently.

Hashirama nodded. “Very well, then I...give you my blessing to court Sakura.” He choked then, cleared his throat and looked at his brother with uneasy eyes. “It won’t be easy for me to see you with her Tobi. I had considered courting her myself.”

“I know brother.” Tobirama didn’t have anything more to say. He knew...and Hashirama understood. He had told his brother, he had his blessing...his guilt was satisfied.

Hashirama nodded with a slight jerking of his head. “I will invite the Uzumaki to view the new construction of our village in a month so that Mito and I may meet in person. We need to speak with Madara to lay concrete plans and to agree on which buildings should be built first. We’ll need to have something to show them.” He grimaced.

“I get started on the construction as soon as the plans are finalized.” Tobirama was grateful for his brother’s understanding. He would work hard to impress the Uzumaki, he wanted his brother to be happy, as happy as he was. His path was clear, there was hope for the future...a future with Sakura. 

“Thank you Hashirama.” Tobirama bowed to his elder brother with respect, a small smile on his face and left his brother’s office.

Soft brown eyes turned hard as Hashirama glared down at the scroll in front of him. This wasn’t what he had planned, this wasn’t what he had wanted. A marriage between the Uzumaki heir and the Senju clan head was a good one and Mito Uzumaki would make a formidable and valuable wife. However...Mito wasn’t the woman who lay under him, writhing with lust, in his dreams, Sakura was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hum?


	28. Izuna contracts, weddings, loss and Hatakes

_“White, yes, definitely white ones.” Ino pulled several orchids from the refrigeration unit and held them up next to Sakura’s face, her eyes squinting in scrutiny. “It will match his silver hair and go nicely with your pink.” The blonde squealed._

_“I like orchids.” Sakura walked up and down the aisles in her best friend’s flower shop to see if there was anything else she liked more. “They don’t have to be white though you know. I’m not a virgin and neither is he.” She smirked. “Not after last night.”_

_“Oh who cares, we’re shinobi, no one waits anymore. It’s not like it was in our founder’s time. I mean, they all died as virgins back then!” Ino shook her head as though she couldn’t even fathom the thought of dying as a virgin._

_“I don’t believe that Ino. Can you imagine Madara Uchiha as a virgin? I mean the man was a nightmare but he was definitely sex and Tobirama Sama...those eyes and that hair, so hot. Shinobi now aren’t that different from back then...unless you’re a clan kid maybe.” She said thoughtfully, then smirked at the Yamanaka Clan Head._

_“Then maybe you would have died a virgin.” Sakura laughed._

_“Whatever civilian born, Forehead, the only shinobi back then were clan kids duh.. Hashirama Sama was pretty hot too, that hair and those brown eyes.” Ino sighed dreamily._

_“...but Kakashi… I still can’t believe you locked down the most eligible Konoha bachelor!” Ino was squealing again, making her head hurt. “What did Sasuke say when you told him you and Kakashi were getting hitched?”_

_“I haven’t told him yet, does it matter? It’s not like we’re close, or like we ever were. Why would he even care?” Sakura picked up a cosmos and smiled thinking of when she and Ino used to sit in the fields together and braid flowers into one another’s hair when they were kids._

_“Oh well uh, people have heard talk that, he and you…”Ino stuttered uncharacteristically._

_Sakura turned to look at her friend, setting the cosmos back into its holder. “Spit it out Pig, what has the last Uchiha been saying?” Sakura raised a pink brow at her friend urging her to spill it._

_“Sasuke’s has been telling everyone that you’re only marrying Kakashi because you’re pregnant.” Ino ducked her head and waited for the explosion._

_“He...what?” Sakura didn’t explode, she didn’t even look mad, she just looked a bit surprised._

_“Are you?” Ino asked, eyeing her waistline._

_“No, we had talked about it of course, but we’re going to wait a year, possibly two. I just took over at the hospital and have a lot on my plate right now. Lady Tsunade had her hand in almost every part of the hospital's operation so...to fill her shoes, I also have to have a hand in everything.” Sakura crossed her arms and tapped her foot while she thought._

_“At least until I can divide the responsibility to the right department heads and get things a bit more organized. I love Tsunade but man was she messy.” Sakura laughed._

_Ino stared at her friend._

_“What’s wrong?” Sakura had just noticed the look on Ino’s face. A look of joy and satisfaction laced with sadness._

_“You’re really over him huh?” Ino smiled at her lifelong friend, her eyes moist and crinkled._

_“Sasuke? Of course Ino. I gave up on him a long time ago. Probably around the second time he tried to kill me.” She laughed. It didn’t hurt anymore when she thought of Sasuke. It didn’t pain her anymore when she thought of how little he had thought of her growing up, or even after. Yeah, she was over him._

_“We were really dumb huh, when we were kids. Following him around all the time, fighting over his attention, that he never gave us.” Ino sighed remembering their ‘Good times’._

_“Yeah, we were pathetic.” Sakura smiled and hugged her friend picking up one of the white orchids. “I’m glad I have Kakashi and that I know what real love is now, I deserve it and so does he.”_

_Ino plucked the orchid from her friends fingers and braided it into her short locks. “Yeah you do Forehead. You do.”_

Madara opened his eyes and stared at the rafters of his ceiling. He had been dreaming of her again. 

She thought he was ‘sex’,? What did that mean? She liked Tobirama’s eyes? He had red eyes too, when he activated his sharingan, but she hadn’t seemed to like that. A nightmare, she had called him. Madara scratched his chin and ran his fingers through his spiky unruly hair. He wasn’t a nightmare. He was just a little hard to deal with sometimes.

Her friend, the blonde was clearly a Yamanaka. It seemed even in her time the woman had friends in high places. Hatake, they were a small but incredibly skilled clan, a clan of geniuses like his but not nearly as ambitious. As he recalled, the Hatake’s preferred peace and tranquility, only fighting and defending when roused. So, that’s the kind of man she prefers, the kind that only flights when he must? Part of Madara thought that wise, the other part of him scoffed.

She had run the hospital in her village. He had seen parts of her village through other dreams he had of her, it was huge...she was impressive. Every time he closed his eyes, the more impressive she became.

‘The last Uchiha’, he wondered, that Uchiha he had seen before in her memories, was that man they spoke of, really the last Uchiha? That was impossible, wasn’t it? There weren’t as many Uchiha in his time as there were in his father’s time but they weren’t a small clan. They were as large as the Senju were.

...it sounded as though his Tennyo and her friend were planning Sakura’s wedding. Was she...already married...but if she was here and clearly she was alone…

His Tennyo’s personality in his dreams of her past was different than the one she displayed here, he wondered if her isolation had changed her that drastically, but would he be any different? Calm, confident and among friends, one can be themselves. Alone, in a strange place among strangers...she was right to be cautious...he would be the same.

Madara liked seeing her smile and laugh with her friend. He hoped...that maybe she could find that here. Friends...laughter.

He had been suspecting for some time now that Sakura was...from a different era. The speech and clothes of his dreams, her memories, were so different from his, but so similar to the ones he had first seen her wearing when he had discovered her by the river. Each new piece of her life, each small window into her past, only raised more questions in him, about her future.

His future.

It had been three days since he had seen her and each night when he lay down to sleep, he would dream of her. Each dream gave him a deeper more in depth understanding of the enigma that was Sakura. Each morning when he woke up, he was reminded that he woke up, alone.

Shinrai reported to him every morning and every night. Madara found that he looked forward to his summons reports on the woman more than anything else that consumed his time. For the last three days he had spent the majority of his time in meetings. Meetings with the Uchiha council, meetings with the Senju council...meetings with Hashirama and Tobirama.

Meetings that Izuna seemed highly skilled at avoiding for the most part, leaving Madara to make most of the decisions for the clan alone. That was fine. He was used to it. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t make his younger brother regret it the next time they spar though.

He knew he should get up. There were things that he needed to do today, like the day before and the day before that but...he was half tempted to roll over and go back to sleep, perhaps, to have another dream.

His Tennyo was a much more interesting woman then he had originally thought. He had dreamt of her as a child, the daughter of a merchant and had nearly laughed when he had woken up. His little powerhouse of a woman was civilian born...the elder’s would have a fit with such information. It went against everything they had ever learned growing up, that only shinobi born children could be shinobi and that civilian born were weak.

While he enjoyed these little glimpses of her life, he wanted to know more about what he had seen before, when he had seen thousands upon thousands of shinobi from all over the five great nations gathered for war...against him. He hadn’t had another dream about her war...maybe, he could ask her…

Would she be willing to speak to him about it. They had come to a very small non verbal agreement of sorts, but did that include speaking to one another, alone? There was so much he wanted to ask her. There was so much she could tell him, and he wanted to see her again, now that he had seen more into her past he felt that he knew her better.

Dark cackling filled his head. Black Zetsu. Now that he knew, Madara had much more control over the beast inside of him. Now that he knew it was there, he knew to ignore it. He owed Sakura a debt, without her vital information on the beast...Madara may not have been as cordial or accepting in the meetings or with Hashirama’s favor of his Tennyo. Madara thought about the dream he had just had of her and her conversation with her friend, the Yamanaka.

He thought of the dreams he had without Sakura as well. The dreams he had of Sakura were both entertaining and unsettling, but the dreams he had of a dark eyed, dark haired boy in strange white robes were the most disturbing. He felt like he should know the boy, but he knew he had never seen him before, outside of his dreams. It made his head hurt.

Madara stretched and pulled himself out of his bed. It was just after dawn. He would go to the training field and train for an hour before breakfast, find Izuna, and drag him to the meeting at the Senju compound later that day if he had to. If Izuna wanted to be a part of their new village, he would help build it like the rest of them. Which meant, he had to start attending the meetings and plan it with them.

Cool crisp morning air surrounded him as he stepped out the back door of the main house. Izuna must have woken early and gone out, he couldn’t feel his chakra signature nearby, and Madara wondered where he had been spending all of his time lately.

Izuna ducked under the low hanging branch and walked up to Sakura’s front door, knocked, and waited for her to answer. Yesterday he had helped her pick and store her baskets of nuts on drying racks in her pantry. He wondered what she would need help with today.

Madara told him that he and Hashirama had agreed to give her a few days to herself, to get acclimated to the idea of joining their village, but he hadn’t told Izuna that he couldn’t visit her. So the next morning, he did.

She had been meditating on top of the cliff. He had waited for a time on her porch but realizing that she wasn’t in her house he had started to explore the surrounding forest and cliff side where their new village would be built, and found her sitting on a rock at the top of the cliff behind her house.

When asked why she was there, she waved a hand out gracefully in front of her and smiled with her eyes close, saying she adored the view. He had laughed loudly, suddenly, his face turning red with embarrassment. 

She opened her eyes then, they had been so green and beautiful, shining with the rising sun, her head outlined in light...like an angel. They had spent the day making the soldier pills Madara had requested and he had taken them home with him, late that night after they had dried by her outdoor fire.

Izuna waited patiently for Sakura to answer her door. Part of him felt guilty for being here, Madara had been working so hard with Hashirama and their councils for the last few days, but when Sakura opened her door and welcomed him into her home...all thoughts of his brother and the Senju were forgotten.

“It’s good to see you again Izuna.” Sakura smiled a knowing smile at the man. “Shirking your duties again to come play with me?” She teased.

“If my brother was really upset at my absence, I’m sure he knows where to find me.” Izuna replied comfortably as she led the way to her kitchen.

There were two cups of steaming tea set out on the kitchen table and a plate of thin baked rice cakes. She had been expecting him. He was pleased. The last two days had been wonderful. He had learned so much about her, he hadn’t realized how nice it could be to speak to a woman who spoke her mind, who offered more to the conversation than a polite laugh, or simple one word answers to his opinions.

It was what had drawn him to her in Tanzaku Town. Sakura was opinionated and not at all adverse to giving her opinion, even when it clashed with his. He loved hearing her speak. Not only did she have a docile calming voice but she had passion. Her cheeks would flush and her eyes would brighten when she spoke of something she was interested in, or knew a lot about. He adored her.

Izuna sat down at the table across from the pink haired medic nin and smiled. “I hope I was not presumptuous in coming this morning again. I will not be offended if you tell me to leave.” He said politely.

“I welcome the extra hands Izuna. I wanted to harvest my garden of its medicinal herbs before the temporary civilian camp is set up in case they need medical assistance.” She tapped her fingers against the table.

“I continued to work after you left last night and only have a few more plots to harvest if you would like to assist me?” She asked him , taking a flattened cake from the plate and biting into it warily.

Izuna smiled at her in amusement. He had learned the first day he had visited her official at her home...not to eat anything she cooked unless it was stew or a simple rice cake. She was a terrible cook, but he didn’t mind. She had other skills he thought were much more valuable.

“It would be my pleasure Sakura.” Izuna sipped his tea and watched her chew her rice cake. 

While Sakura’s features were beautifully delicate, it was a farce. He had noticed right away the steel beneath the flawlessly smooth skin, the power behind the small, fragile looking hands as they had gathered and stored her nuts and herbs together the day before.

When he had shared his observation with her she had laughed. A delighted laugh that sounded like the tinkering of silver bells and honey in the summer. He had been entranced. She had smiled at him and told him that many of her teachers told her that a gentle, civilian appearance would aid her as a kunoichi.

At first he had frowned, he had misunderstood, thinking her teachers meant for her to use her looks to seduce and cajole targets into giving her information or to get close enough to them for an assassination, unfortunately, that was the most common role of a kunoichi of his time. She had seen his dark look and laughed correcting his assumption with good grace.

“I look like a civilian, not a shinobi. I don’t have to seduce anyone for them to underestimate me by looking at me.” She had told him and he agreed.

Izuna watched her drink her tea and eat her rice cakes as they sat in companionable silence. Normally this stagnant conversation and inactivity would bother him, but not with Sakura. With Sakura, it was peaceful and pleasant. Enjoyable.

“After we finish harvesting the last few plots I have some seeds I need to plant that I purchased while in Tanzaku. Some medicinal plants that Hashirama didn’t cultivate for me.” She looked out her kitchen window. The farthest edge of her garden could be seen just barely. 

“I was thinking of extending the garden, over there.” She pointed to the edge of the garden. “Hashirama was kind but he didn’t set my garden up for practicality and while it is very beautiful, it is not very useful.”

Personally Izuna thought her garden looked just fine but he could see that passion in her eyes again as she continued to speak about building new planting boxes and grouping the herbs together that would be needed for certain ailments and diseases. She was clearly in her element.

“How do you come to know so much about healing Sakura and where did you learn how to heal like you do? My chest was sore for a day or two but after that, it was perfect. I’ve never been healed so well before and so quickly. I could have used you when we were at war with the Senju.” He had started his line of thought cheerfully, but as he spoke his voice dropped.

“If only we had met you sooner. Maybe more of our clan would still be alive now.” He ended quietly.

“You know me now.” She said simply, making him smile.

“I am very grateful that I do too.” Izuna smiled and reached across the table to twine his fingers with hers. “Sakura, I wanted to speak to you about something.” He began but stopped, hesitating.

“I don’t know where you’re from or why you’re here by yourself.” She flinched and he hurried on to say. “It doesn’t matter to me.” 

Izuna cleared his throat. “Since we met in Tanzaku I uh, have been thinking about you a lot and um...would you consider a courting contract with me?” He said the last few words in a rush, his face red and his eyes averted.

“A courting contract?” Sakura pulled her hand from Izuna’s and pushed her hair back from her face. She had slept in a bit and hadn’t had time to braid it or put it up like she usually did, so it hung loose down her back to her waist and was constantly getting in her way.

“What is a courting contract?’ Sakura asked Izuna to his horror. She knew a little about such things from Ino, but not nearly enough to fully comprehend what he meant, she was sure.

“Uh, you don’t know what a… are you, you’re joking right?” Izuna started to laugh but stopped when Sakura didn’t join him. “Oh, you’re serious. Wow, I’ve never met anyone who didn’t know what a courting contract was.”

Sakura raised her brows at him, “Well are you going to tell me what it is or are you going to keep laughing at me?” She reached across the table and hit him lightly on the arm making him grin.

“It's a contract for courtship, for marriage, to see if we’re compatible. It lets others know you are taken and possibly going to be marrying soon.” Izuna smiled nervously at her. “Do they not have those where you’re from?”

Sakura stared at him. Was he...asking her to marry him? He hardly knew her!

“There are engagement contracts, yes, but only in the more prominent ancient clans...oh but you’re an Uchiha, of course um.” Sakura stumbled over her words.

She hadn’t needed an engagement contract with Kakashi. He was the last of the Hatakes’ and her parents were civilians. Tsunade had given them her blessing as their Hokage, that was as official as it got. No contract had been drawn up and Sasuke had sent her...here, before she and Kakashi could marry.

Kakashi…

“Izuna, there was never any reason for me to offer this information before, but my parents were merchants. I am the first kunoichi in my family. I was born a civilian.” She told him.

“So, yeah, there are courting contracts where I came from, but I never needed one since I’m not from a shinobi clan, and my family wasn’t wealthy. I had the blessing of our village leader and he was the last member of his clan, even though he was from an ancient clan, there was no one to tell him he couldn’t marry me.” She shrugged.

“You’re married?” Izuna blurted out in shock.

“No, I’m not.” Sakura bit her bottom lip, how the hell would she explain this...

“You were married before?” Izuna’s mouth dropped open, then shut quickly. “I mean, I’m sorry, I meant no offense, of course you were married before, I mean look at you, but...Who?”

Izuna was shocked, he hadn’t thought...she had never said...of course he hadn’t asked but…

“He’s gone. I left before we could marry.” She said, rising from the table and setting her empty tea cup on the counter. Sakura turned back to Izuna. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

He nodded automatically. “Of course but I have to ask. These last few days, we’ve gotten to know one another better and well...I’d not have asked you before but now that we are friends, are you in trouble, Sakura? Did you run from him?”

Sakura smiled a sad smile and shook her head. “I’m not in trouble Izuna, thank you for asking and no, I didn’t run from him.”

“Oh.” Izuna nodded again because he didn’t know what else to do. She didn’t want to marry the man so she had killed him, the thought raced through his head. Good. They would build their village, she would have the backing of his clan and the Senju’s. If anyone came looking for her...she would be well protected.

“Thanks for not pressing me for information, Izuna, and for helping me in my garden. I like spending time with you.” She tried to smile but one tear slipped down her face betraying her.

Izuna ignored the tear, she wouldn’t appreciate his pity or sympathy. 

“Anything for you.” He rose from his chair and set his cup on the counter beside hers. They could discuss their courting contract later, it wasn’t important. What was important was Sakura, and making her smile again.


	29. Chapter 29

He could feel both of their chakra signatures a mile from her home. Her signature was very faint, if he wasn’t such a skilled and natural sensor, he never would have picked up her signature, but Izuna Uchiha’s signature...was as clear as a red flag flapping in the breeze to him. 

Tobirama sighed. The man hadn’t been to the last three meetings regarding their village and now he knew why. Should he wait for him to leave? He needed to finalize the temporary camp for the civilian workers. He didn’t want it to be too close to Sakura’s home, but it would need to be close to the river for their convenience. 

Tobirama wanted to ask Sakura how far away from her house it should be. He didn’t wish for her to be uncomfortable. She had been living in these woods alone for a year now, she might not take well to her new neighbors, no matter how temporary the camp would be, the village was not.

Hashirama hadn’t said much after their talk three days ago. His brother had kept mostly to himself, conferring quietly with Madara after the meetings and being much more reserved than Tobirama had ever seen him before. He wondered if it was the missive from The Land of Eddies or his request to court Sakura that was responsible for his brother's mood change.

Tobirama took a few steps toward Sakura’s home. She had told him to come visit her today, he would be expected. There was still a lot he had to get done but he had set this time aside for her, he didn’t wish to waste it just because Izuna Uchiha was visiting her too. 

Why was the little twerp visiting her anyway...Tobirama pushed such ridiculous thoughts from his head. She had kissed him, he didn’t need to worry, besides, he knew she had probably already felt his chakra signature heading her way, she was a sensor, like him however, Izuna Uchiha was not. Tobirama lowered his chakra signature and wrapped his energy around himself as he approached her home.

“Thanks for your help Izuna. I really appreciate it.” She smiled as the man sealed the last of her herbs into her storage scroll. “It will be good to have all of these on hand if they are needed.”

“I wish I could help more but I know Madara will want me back at the compound. There is another meeting scheduled for this afternoon with the Senju and I should be there.” He laughed. “I've been avoiding the meetings but...I imagine most of the petty decisions have been made like where to put the market. I want to be there for the important things though.”

“How clever of you Izuna.” Sakura teased. “...and incredibly lazy.” She laughed at him.

“I’m not lazy. I was helping you out, that counts.” He smiled at her.

“Yes, of course, you’re right.” She waved him away. “Get going then. I won't expect you tomorrow morning then.”

“Probably not.” Izuna paused before leaving. “I won’t bring it up again, or pressure you but, think about the courting contract okay? It doesn’t have to be a big deal, it can be a simple contract, no uh, stipulations or anything okay?”

Sakura grimaced. She could feel Tobirama in the woods behind her. It was clear Izuna hadn’t sensed him yet and she wondered if he was close enough to hear their conversation.

“Izuna.” Sakura began.

“Just think about it.” Izuna insisted, hearing the doubt in her voice.

“I don’t want to marry anyone right now, Izuna.” She said bluntly but kindly. “If anyone asked me right now, I would say no, no matter who asked. There’s just too much going on right now. Marriage isn’t even on my mind, you understand right?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Izuna looked down at his feet. “When you do want to though, will you remember I asked?”

“I’m not likely to forget.” She smiled at him.

“That’s okay then. I’m good with that.” Izuna grinned at her. “See ya.”

Sakura waved as he jumped to the trees and ran back to the Uchiha compound. Tobirama stepped out of the woods behind her, stopping once he stood beside her, looking off into the distance with her.

“So, this is where he’s been instead of attending the meetings like he is supposed to?” Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest, a stern look on his face...but Sakura could see the corners of his mouth twitching and knew he wasn’t really upset.

“You caught him.” She placed a hand on Tobirama’s arm and smiled. “He was very helpful though. Helped me collect and store all of my nuts to dry and we sealed the last of all of my medicinal herbs in less than two days.”

“Hmph.” Tobirama placed his other hand over hers where it rested on his arm. 

“At least he was useful.” He had heard what Izuna had said, but he had also heard her response. No more needed to be said. He understood her words, and agreed with them.

“How are the meetings going? Izuna didn’t seem to think you would be discussing anything important for the first few days.” Sakura giggled when Tobirama made a deep growling noise in the back of his throat.

“We decided where the market should be.” He said as she broke out in a fit of laughter. “What’s so funny about that?”

“Nothing.” She tried to calm herself. “It's just, that’s one of the things Izuna claimed he didn’t need or want to discuss.”

“I heard.” He said stiffly and she nodded. He had heard everything then, good. She smiled at him, he looked down at her and nodded. Yes, they understood one another just fine.

“I’m glad you came. I have some more soldier pills for you. I made the ones that Madara had requested and there were quite a few left over. I set some aside for you. I thought you might like to have extras.” She started walking toward her house.

“Thank you, that was thoughtful of you.” He followed her into the house and then into the kitchen where there were several small silk bags lined up and tied in a row. 

She pulled two bags from the table and handed them to him. “One is for you and the other one is for your brother.” She explained when he blinked at the bags.

“He will be pleased, thank you Sakura.” Tobirama opened his pouch and placed the bags inside. “I need to settle on a place to build the temporary camp, would you like to come with me? I have two places in mind and would like your opinion.”

“That sounds fun.” Sakura reached for her wrap that she had made from her old clothes on the back of her kitchen chair and threw it on over her head.

They walked back and forth and up and down several times, then back again along the river, discussing the best place for the camp and why. Sakura didn’t want it too far from her house, which surprised Tobirama, he would have thought she would want more privacy.

“In case they are injured.” She explained when she observed his surprise.

“Injured.” Tobirama looked down at her confused.

“I’m a medic nin remember?” She thought she had told him that in Tanzaku.

“Oh yes but, you mean you can heal civilians even though they hardly have any chakra?” He thought the patient had to have a certain level of pre-existing chakra in their bodies in order to be healed with chakra.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be able to?” It was her turn to be confused.

“Do they not have to have a higher level of chakra for you to heal them adequately?” He asked her, voicing his concerns.

“Not the way I heal them. I rely completely on my own chakra, I do not blend mine with theirs to heal them like other medic nin do, do they not know how to do that now?” She asked curiously.

“No.” He tilted his head to the side while looking at her. It was so unusual and yet so casual to speak to her like this about something so extraordinary. He smiled softly.

“What is it?” Sakura had noticed his smile and was smiling up at him.

“This is nice. Talking with you like this. When we met, it was very...awkward and now...” Tobirama stepped closer to her, he could feel the tips of her hair brushing across his hands at his sides. “Can I, may I kiss you again?”

Sakura smiled and nodded her head. She watched as he stepped closer to her, his hand reaching up to play with the hair at the side of her cheek. She closed her eyes and waited. Nothing happened. 

“Tobirama?” She was going to open her eyes when soft lips met hers, it was as though he had been waiting, for her to call out his name. Sakura lifted her hands to his chest and gathered the material of his shirt between her fingers moving into his body, into his kiss.

Her lips were so soft, her frame was so small compared to his, she was so, so...perfect. Tobirama pulled her closer to him by her waist, slid his hands up the sides of her body and tangled his fingers into her hair. Her mouth opened for him and he moved, not knowing what he was doing, never having done this before...he moved into her mouth, his tongue sliding over hers and when she moaned...he released her and stepped back quickly. She stumbled.

“I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” He stammered, his cheeks pink and his ears red, his eyes searching her face for injury.

Sakura laughed out loud, but stopped immediately when he gave her a dirty look. “No, I’m fine, I’m so sorry Tobi, I didn’t mean to laugh.” She bit her lip to stifle her laughter. He was so sweet, so cute and so very...inexperienced.

“Um, am I the first woman you’ve kissed?” She asked him, her fingers running up his left arm, moving closer to him again.

“Yes, was I doing it wrong?” He asked her gruffly.

She didn’t trust herself not to laugh again so she shook her head vigorously.

“You’ve kissed men before.” He said it flatly.

“One man, yes.” She said honestly. “You are the second man I have kissed.”

She had stepped up to him again and was looking up at him. He felt so foolish and awkward. “I’m sorry, I will try to do better.”

“Tobi.” Sakura blushed. She was used to being the inexperienced one. Compared to Ino she was practically a virgin still...even though she wasn’t. “You kiss very well. Kiss me again.”

He bent his head, she leaned forward, up on her tippy toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her mouth met his and opened immediately to let him in...it was his turn to moan as she slid her tongue over his and turned her head to deepen their kiss.

Tobirama didn’t know how long they had stood there kissing one another, but he knew he didn’t want to stop, that he didn’t want to let her go...but he had to. Slowly, he pulled his mouth away. Gently, he released her hair from his fists that he hadn’t realized he had made and stepped back and away from her a little to regain his breath.

“That was...was...nice.” He couldn’t think of a word that described everything that he had been feeling. Nice, seemed to be lacking in description in every way shape and form but she didn’t seem to mind.

“It was nice.” She smiled at him.

“I need to mark off the spot we chose. I’m sorry. I will need to get back to the compound before the meeting to draw up a blueprint and a basic outline of the terrain. I can come back after the meeting though, if you like?” He stepped close to her again.

“Yes. I would like that.” Sakura leaned forward and kissed his mouth quickly. “Dinner?”

“Yes.” He wasn’t sure what to do, should he leave now or would she be upset. “I will come back as soon as the meeting is over.”

“Okay.” Sakura smiled again. “See you later.”

Tobirama nodded, turned and walked a few paces to the nearest tree, looked back over his shoulder at her, smiled a rare genuine smile and disappeared.

Sakura remained standing where he had left her. He was gone but she stood there a smile on her face, her eyes looking where she had last seen him. “Tobirama Senju, Lord Second, Hokage of Konoha, the inventor of the Flying thunder kami technique, just kissed me for the third time.” She whispered and touched her fingers to her lips.

It had been a long time since she had been this happy. She wanted to bask in the moment...but it seemed fate...had other plans.

“You look happy, Sakura. Have you forgotten me already?”

Sakura spun on her heel gasping. “Kakashi, what are you doing here?”

Kakashi pushed off the tree he had been leaning against, his hands still in his pockets, and slouched over to where she was standing. “I’m not really here, remember?”

“I don’t understand. White Zetsu is gone. I killed him, I destroyed him, how can I see you, hear you…” She lifted a trembling hand and touched his cheek. “Feel you?”

“Some memories are stronger than others I guess.” He shrugged. “So the Nidaime huh, he’s quite a catch.” He teased her.

“Kakashi.” Sakura flinched at his words.

“I’m not here, Sakura. I’m not real, you don’t have anything to feel guilty for. You’re not doing anything wrong.” He pulled one of his hands from his pocket and cupped her face. “This isn’t real, baby.”

Tears started to fall from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Wet began to pool and flow over his fingers where he cupped her face. “I miss you so much. It’s so unfair that...what Sasuke did to us, what he took from us.” She sobbed.

“Yeah. He was a real asshole but it’s okay. I’m okay and it looks like you’ll be okay too.” He slid his hand down her cheek and grasped her hand pulling her to him. “I want you to love again. You of all people deserve love, Sakura. The Nidaime is a good man. You found yourself a good man, finally.” He kissed the top of her head.

“I had a good man. The best.” She cried into his chest.

“Had, baby. It’s time to move on, Sakura. I think he really cares about you as much as I hate to say it.” Kakashi eye crinkled at her. It was something he did to hide deep emotions. This was hurting him, she knew it.

“I hear you’re looking for a new summons. I have something for you.” He pulled a thick worn scroll from his pouch and handed it to her. Changing to subject...

“Found this in your things after you left. Your parents let me take a few of your things, to remember you by. This was in one of the older boxes, thought you might like it. I think it suits you.” Kakashi shifted his weight on his feet. She could feel his chakra pulse, it was...unsteady.

“A summons contract? It’s so small compared to the others I’ve seen.” She looked down at the thick scroll in her hand.

“It’s a rare summons. Not many have had a contract with them. Be careful. If they don’t sign with you...they kill you. If they do sign with you...you’ll never find a more loyal summons, or a stronger ally.” Kakashi patted her on the head. 

“My time is running out, this connection is unstable. I’ll probably only be able to visit you one more time. Be safe Sakura. Good luck.” He nodded to the scroll in her hand and faded away.

“Your time is running out? Kakashi, wait, come back!” She called out to him but it was too late...he was already gone and she was alone, again.

“Come back.” She said quietly.

Sakura looked down at the scroll in her hands. She had never seen it before and wondered why it had been in her boxes. It was clearly a shinobi’s scroll, which is why her parents had probably given it to Kakashi, they probably thought he would have a use for it.

Her reserves were almost full. She would be ready to pull Black Zetsu from Madara soon, in the next two or three days. Sakura tied the wrapped scroll to her belt, she would use it after she was sure that monster Black Zetsu was gone.

Two hours later, Tobirama nodded cordially to Izuna who had just sat down across from him in the main house of the Senju compound. “Izuna.”

“Tobirama.” Izuna nodded to the other man stiffly.

“So nice of you to join us.” Tobirama said evenly.

“Well I got bored, nothing else to do now that the war is over, can’t kill Senju anymore.” Izuna smirked at Tobirama's stiffened posture.

“Izuna.” Madara sat down beside him. “Relax.”

“I was just joking. It’s not my fault he’s such a stiff.” Izuna rolled his eyes at both his brother and Tobirama.

“Tobi, did you and Sakura settle on a campsite?” Hashirama sat down beside his brother and started the meeting with a nod to the two Uchiha across the table.

“We did, here is the basic blueprint.” Tobirama set a paper down in front of his brother who nodded, then slid the paper across the table to Madara.

“Looks good, but isn’t it a little too close to Sakura’s house?” Madara asked Tobirama.

“I thought that as well, but Sakura insisted it be closer than the other site I had picked out, for the crew’s safety. She prefers the site to be closer to her home in case there is a medical emergency.” Tobirama explained their choice in sites.

“It’s too close, we will use the other site.” Hashirama said looking back down at the map Tobirama had drawn beside his plans for the camp.

Izuna who had been looking out the window turned his head back to the meeting. “I thought your brother said Sakura preferred it to be closer to her home, should we not adhere to her wishes. She will be closer to the site than any of us. If she can help I say let her.”

“I agree.” Tobirama almost laughed at the shocked look on Izuna’s face that his war rival was agreeing with him against his brother.

“No, the site should be…” Hashirama began again but was cut off by Madara.

“They are right Hashi.” Madara cut in. “If she can help, why not let her? She is a capable kunoichi and the best medic nin I have ever seen.”

“Well, I suppose but I don’t want her there alone at night. Someone will need to stay there with her.” He conceded to their request.

“I will stay at the worksite with the crews.” Tobirama spoke before anyone else.

“...and I will stay with Sakura at her house, if she will let me.” Izuna said promptly.

“What?” Madara and Hashirama demanded at the same time.

Tobirama groaned.


	30. Chapter 30

“Why is the white haired Senju coming over for dinner Sakura?” Shinrai demanded of her host human. Lord Madara will not be pleased. “Why not invite Lord Izuna back over, or Lord Madara?”

“I invited Tobirama.” Sakura set plates, chopsticks and cups on her kitchen table, then picked up the cooking pot from it’s hook over the empty hearth in her kitchen.

“Why?” Shinrai followed the woman outside, up the steps to her wooden platform and watched her dunk the pot in the moving water filling it to the brim.

“I enjoy his company Shinrai.” Sakura was amused by the bird's evident animosity toward Tobirama.

“Did you not get enough of his company earlier in the woods when you were kissing him wantonly?” Shinrai ruffled her feathers.

“Excuse me birdie?” Sakura placed one hand on her hip, bracing the full pot against her other side and glared at the bird. “What do you mean by that?”

“I saw you kissing that man in the woods.” Shinrai said in her cultured monotone, ignoring the woman’s implied insult. It reminded her of Lord Madara, when he got annoyed with her, he would refer to her as a chicken. 

“So, Madara did send you to spy on me hum?” Sakura was amused more than angry at the bird calling her kiss with Tobirama wantonly. “Good, I hope he enjoys the news.” Sakura laughed as she walked back into her house and set the pot on the hook.

She knew that Shinrai reported to Madara every morning and every night, the hawk knew it too and Sakura was sure Madara knew, that she knew. The situation was rather comical. Shinrai, Sakura found out quickly was a rather opinionated summons and she enjoyed heckling Sakura just to get a rise out of her.

It had taken Sakura exactly ten minutes and forty five seconds to realize that was the hawk's true objective when criticizing her clothes. A first Sakura had laughed, but when Shinrai had said that the reason Sakura dressed like a man was because of her large forehead...she had gotten pissed, picked up a small boulder by the river and had thrown it at the surprised hawk...who hadn’t mentioned her large forehead since but had been delighted at Sakura’s display of insane strength.

“What are you making him for dinner?” Shinrai flew to the other side of the kitchen to watch Sakura cut up newly dug turnips and leeks.

“Chicken soup and plain rice. Nothing fancy. I’m not a very good cook.” Sakura replied.

“The Uchiha has two cooks. Why don’t you have a cook Sakura?” Shinrai poked a talon at one of the turnip heads.

“I don’t need someone to cook for me. Even if I don’t know how to cook well, I know how to make simple things. I don’t need a servant.” Sakura dipped out a few cups of water from the full pot over the still empty hearth and watered her flower boxes in the kitchen window that had her new herb seeds in them.

“If you had a cook you would eat better.” Shinrai observed the limp turnips in Sakura’s hand.

“I eat fine, and Tobirama has a plain pallet. I’ve never seen him eat anything but rice cakes and grilled fish.” Sakura tapped her thumb against her lips, of course, she had only seen him eat twice. “Maybe I should grill him a fish just in case he doesn’t like chicken soup.”

“No, I don’t want to waste time making two dinners.” Sakura eyed Shinrai.

“What?” The hawk gave her look for look.

“Go to the Senju compound and ask Tobirama Senju if he would like chicken soup and rice balls for dinner or grilled fish. If he isn’t there he should be nearby in between here and the Senju compound.” Sakura smiled sweetly at the hawk.

“No.” Shinrai turned around to show Sakura her tail feathers. “You promised not to send me on pointless missions.”

“Please.” Sakura scratched Shinrai under the beak, shehad found out that morning how much the hawk liked her under beak scratched when she had tried to pet her. “I’ll grill you a fish if you do.”

“Two fish.” Shinrai turned halfway around to look at Sakura, gauging her level of possible deception.

“Two fish, if you stop by the river and grab me a mouthful of water cress on the way back.” Sakura countered.

“Deal.” Shinrai waddled over to the window and hopped out, spread her wings and shot off into the sky.

Sakura smirked. As loath as the lofty hawk was to admit it, Sakura knew Shinrai was fond of her and she had become rather fond of Shinrai as well.

Madara tapped the end of his glass pen on the table top. “I think we should appoint heads to tasks. For example, who will be in charge of the roles of the shinobi and handing out missions?” He asked the other men at the table.

Hashirama nodded. “Yes, we should elect a leader between the four of us. Someone we can all stand behind, trust.”

“Perhaps that may wait until after the village is built.” Tobirama interjected.

“Why?” Izuna asked curiously, politely.

“More may wish to join us in our village, it would be wise to wait, consider all of our options, but I do agree it should be one of us at this table, either Madara or my brother. They are both clan heads and leaders from birth, it would be expected that one of the two main founders of the village be chosen to lead it.” Tobirama said practically.

Madara nodded. ”I agree. We can choose after more of the village has been established.” He looked to Hashirama for his opinion.

“Yes, good idea, we have enough to worry about, that can be figured out later. As for the other duties, uh Tobirama had a few ideas we wished to discuss with you, Tobi?” Hashirama waved to his brother indicating he should lay his plan out for the others.

“Thank your brother. Since this is a new concept, a shinobi village consisting of the combination of two allied clans, I suggest we take it a step further and form the first educational program for the youth, to raise our children together.” Tobirama looked at each face to judge their reaction before continuing.

When there were no protests, he continued to add, “It will strengthen bonds between our clans, bonds that will be essential moving forward as one village instead of two villages co-existing with one another. I feel it is imperative, given our bloody past, that camaraderie be established, encouraged...enforced.”

“An educational program?” Madara nodded. “That is a very good idea Tobirama.” The Uchiha eyed the white haired man appreciatively.

“Who would be allowed to go to this...academy?” Madara asked, his previous idea taking form in his head.

“The children of the clans of course.” Tobirama thought he had made that clear.

Madara nodded. “Yes, but what about, non clan children who wish to learn to become shinobi? Everyone has chakra, but unless they are born into a clan, civilians do not utilize it, they do not hone it, increase their natural reserves or strengthen their coils.” He pointed out.

“You want to invite civilians to live in our village?” Hashirama stuttered. “...and you want to train their children to become shinobi?”

“If they like.” Madara smiled at his friend’s open mouthed expression. “Shut your mouth Hashi, flies will get in.”

Izuna smirked.

Tobirama eyed the Uchiha with a new respect. “I think it is an excellent idea. Why limit ourselves by the old rules. This is a new village, new rules that work need to be established. Let the academy weed out the ones who are not suitable for a shinobi life. Give them the opportunity to serve our village and earn the respect of their peers.” He nodded to Madara, impressed by his open attitude.

“I never thought I would hear such a...diplomatic suggestion from you, Madara.” Tobirama meant it as a compliment, but Izuna bristled at his words.

“Calm yourself Izuna.” Madara gave his brother a warning glance, then turned to Tobirama. “I would not wish to stifle talent like Sakura’s from reaching its full potential.” 

“Sakura?” Hashirama frowned. “What does Sakura have to do with the academy proposal?”

Izuna grinned smugly. “She is a civilian born, didn’t she tell you?”

Madara looked at his brother’s smug face. She had told him? He knew from seeing her past in his dreams that she had been born a civilian, but she had told Izuna? Interesting. Madara looked back at the Senju brothers, their faces revealed their thoughts...oh, they hadn’t known.

“Sakura doesn’t come from a clan?” Hashirama was stunned. He never would have imagined that she wasn’t from a prominent clan with her abilities, particularly with her abilities to heal. “She is really...really…”

“Confusing?” Madara helped his friend find the word he was looking for. The woman defied every social norm they had been taught as kids.

“Yes, confusing...incredible…” Hashirama trailed off, lost in his own thoughts.

“Will civilians wish to join a shinobi village though, most civilians fear us or hate us. Our wars haven’t only affected shinobi. Many civilian villages have been burned to the ground, pillaged and decimated by shinobi over the years. Many will not wish to join us.” Madara said wisely.

“If they wish to join though, I think we should allow them to do so. It will welcome commerce and small businesses. We won’t have to trade as much with other nations as clans. Our merchants will do the trading for us.” Tobirama added.

“That’s...convenient. It would be nice not to have to travel to Tanzaku or Riga when we need things we are unable to grow or make ourselves.” Izuna added.

“We should lay plans to be completely self-sufficient.” Hashirama decided, nodding to Izuna. 

“The less we rely on other nations, other villages the better, the more successful we will become. Our shinobi can continue to run missions and to earn capital for the village, but our civilian population will supply the trades and the artisans for the public, for our clans...our village.” Hashirama nodded, it was really happening, it was all starting to come together.

“We will need a hospital as well.” Madara offered. “Sakura...I propose she runs our hospital. She is the only one qualified to do so. A place that all of our shinobi can go to get healed, by the best.”

The table went silent.

“That will cost a considerable amount of money Madara.” Izuna said thoughtfully. He wasn’t opposed to the idea, it was a good idea. If their population allowed it. “She is perfect for the role but laying the base, building the foundation alone for our village...is going to cost a small fortune.” Izuna said.

“We have yet to discuss which clan will be paying for what. No contributions have been made from either side yet.” Izuna looked at the Senju brothers.

“We can split the cost for now, in everything. I can build most of the houses and main building with my wood style jutsu, but we will need to hire out the masonry work.” Hashirama looked to Madara who nodded.

“Agreed, our clans will split the cost of any needed costs. You are the only one fortunate to have such a useful jutsu, however, the Uchiha are not lazy. We will build alongside the Senju. What you can not build with your jutsu, we will build with our hands.” Madara and Izuna nodded together.

“Perhaps it would be best to start with the main buildings, the government buildings, then the academy and go from there brother?” Tobirama suggested.

“A few houses will need to be set in place first though.” Hashirama protested. “For the workers.”

Tobirama looked back down at the map and blueprints he had drawn up before their meeting. “The camp is fine. We can make that our civilian district.”

“Should we segregate ourselves?” Izuna asked. “This is being founded on the principle of unity right?” He looked at his brother for confirmation.

“What are you trying to say Izuna?” Madara asked him impatiently. He had skipped out on the last three meetings and now he had all these ideas…

“I’m saying...that we shouldn’t separate ourselves from one another. Senju, Uchiha or civilians.” Izuna waved his hand through the air. “Right?”

“Izuna San. I am so happy to hear you say such a heartwarming thing.” Hashirama leaned forward to pat him on the shoulder but Izuna leaned back and away from the man. “It’s really happening.”

Tobirama rolled his eyes at his brother, but was happy to see his good mood returning none the less.

“It's happening.” Madara smiled at his old friend. “Let’s get a rough layout drawn up, we can start building tomorrow. I’ve already sent word to a few builders that have worked with the clan before. It might be wise to send word to any the Senju know as well Hashirama.”

“Yes.” Hashirama grinned widely. “I want to start building immediately! Oh but, who will speak to Sakura about the hospital. I can go after our meeting and speak to her about it. I think she will like the idea.”

“I will go, we have plans together already.” Tobirama pulled the papers to himself and started making small marks on his map. “I saw her before the meeting and she invited me over for dinner.”

Madara stiffened in his seat and he felt Izuna stiffen beside him. Madara looked at his friend who was looking at his brother with a mix of ill concealed...jealousy. Not that Madara blamed Hashirama, not really but…

“Good, let us know what she says. She has yet to formally agree to joining our village, but she seems inclined to assist us in the building of it.” He nodded to the map Tobirama had drawn with Sakura’s help.

“Brother.” Izuna began but Madara silenced him, this wasn’t the time nor the place.

“Not now Izuna.” Madara said, casting Hashirama a look. “Tobirama will speak with Sakura.”

Hashirama grit his teeth and calmed himself. It wouldn’t do to show his annoyance in the face of his brother or Madara’s. “Let’s see this map of yours again Tobi. I think the main buildings should be grouped together, like the main house in our compound, with the other buildings of importance around it.”

“We should make sure they are in the most secured position of the village. By the cliff side, they will be better protected there in case of an attack or an invasion.” Madara agreed.

“By Sakura’s house?” Izuna frowned, he didn’t like that idea. “Her privacy…”

“We will keep the woods around her home and build the buildings up around her. Like...a park. I will keep the trees dense to keep her sense of privacy.” Hashirama said immediately. “She will be the hidden jewel among the leaves.” He smiled at the thought of Sakura, hidden in the trees, in the middle of a busy village.

“Like...a prisoner?” Tobirama wasn’t sure he liked his brother’s idea and he wasn’t so sure Sakura would either. His brother was making plans for her again, without her input.

“Of course not Tobi.” Hashirama frowned at his brother. “Protected.”

Izuna looked at his brother, paused, then looked down at his hands. He was going to protest, like Tobirama but he could see the tense lines around his brother’s mouth as Madara watched his friend talk. Something...was being said between his brother and his friend, something Izuna couldn’t see...and he was sure, with a quick look across the table, Tobirama didn’t know either.

“While I do not think it right for us to move Sakura, I being the one that suggested we build the village around her, I do not think it right to section her off either.” Madara spoke carefully. He could see that his friend was enjoying the idea of segregating Sakura...a little too much.

“As Izuna said, we need to mingle, overlap previously established boundaries.” Madara pulled the map that Tobirama had been marking down buildings and sections or commerce on and paused. 

It looked like...her village, he could see the Naka River running through the middle like it did in his dreams when he dreamt of her...he could see the clearly defined gate and the walls that Tobirama had just drawn to mark out the perimeter of the main village...the market...the...hospital and the academy…

“Shit.” Madara muttered to himself. She...Sakura was a kunoichi from the future...from their village in the future which meant...she knew. She knew so much more than he thought. “Shit.” He said again.

“Madara?” Hashirama saw the color drain from his friend’s face. “Are you, alright?”

Madara shook his head, his spiky hair shifting over his shoulders, a loud annoying cackling in the far corners of his head…”Yes, I just realized something.”

“What is it?” Hashirama asked, his voice laced with mild concern for the look on his friend’s face.

“There’s no way we are going to get all of this built before the first snowfall.” Madara said the second thing that came to his head. He needed to speak with Sakura. Tobirama was having dinner with her tonight, perhaps tomorrow.

Hashirama nodded...there was more that wasn’t being said, he knew Madara, he had that look in his eye...that calculating look that told Hashirama he was thinking hard, making a plan for...something, but like Madara had told his brother, now was not the time. They would talk later. Madara’s eyes rose to meet his own...yes, a silent communication passed between them. They would talk later.

“It is a good start.” Tobirama said confidently. It was an excellent start.

“So are we done?” Izuna asked, his pinky finger scratching his ear.

Madara sighed. “I suppose we are for now?” He looked at Hashirama who nodded.

“We will start building tomorrow then. Let’s meet at the civilian camp in the morning, after dawn?” He suggested.

Each man nodded. Izuna rose to his feet, stretched, bowed and left the room before anyone could object.

“At least he showed up this time.” Tobirama watched Izuna walking down the street toward the front gates of the Senju compound from the window.

“It’s an adjustment. We have been at war for so long. He will get used to it.” Madara was also watching his brother, a slight frown on his face.

“We are all adjusting.” Tobirama said. “...and working to build something greater than any of us have had before.” He looked down at the papers in front of him.

“Indeed we are brother.” Hashirama smiled. “Like you said it is a good start. I look forward to hearing what Sakura says to Madara’s proposal. I assume you will be leaving now?”

“Yes.” Tobirama gathered his papers, rolled them, then tied them neatly with a string he pulled from his pouch. “I will send you word as soon as she gives me an answer or with any questions she might have.” Tobirama nodded to his brother, then Madara before leaving the room.

Hashirama waited until he was sure his brother had left the compound before speaking.

Madara waited patiently, it was clear Hashirama had things to discuss with him. He could feel the other man's tension in the room and was sure Izuna and Tobirama had also been aware of it. While Izuna most likely brushed it off, not knowing Hashirama as well as Madara, he was sure Tobirama must have known what was bothering his brother...no looks of confusion or interest had been exchanged between the two brothers.

Hashirama rose from his seat and pulled a side cupboard open, pulled out a rather large bottle of sake, two cups and a towel from the shelve, and sat back down across from Madara. He poured their cups for them to the brim, set the bottle down carefully on the cloth, took a deep breath and spoke the words Madara never thought he would hear.

“The Uzumaki sent me a marriage proposal. Old man Uzumaki wants me to marry his daughter, Mito.” Hashirama picked his cup up and drained it, immediately pouring himself another before Madara had even tasted his cup for flavor.

“Oh.” Madara scratched his chin and picked up his cup. “Congratulations.” He drank his sake and set his empty cup back down to have it refilled by Hashirama almost immediately.

“Yeah...what do I do?” He drained his cup again and set it down, looking at his friend with baleful eyes.

“Get married.” Madara replied, thoughts skipping through his head like mad. “The financial security of the Uzumaki...would put our village on the map faster than the two of us could do by ourselves. The names Uchiha, Senju and Uzumaki...think of the posabilities.”

“Right.” Hashirama picked the bottle up again and poured himself a third cup. “Tobirama agreed, it was a good match.”

“It is.” Madara said carefully. “She is a strong woman...much like Sakura.” He pointed out.

“Yeah, but she isn’t Sakura.” Hashirama countered.

“...and you aren’t as big of a fool as you want everyone to think you are. It is a good match Hashi, for many reasons.” Madara said wisely, his head turning to the window. 

“I know. I sent my summons accepting the proposal before the meeting. They arrive in a month to see the start of our village.” Hashirama grabbed the bottle and drank deeply. “I don’t want to do this Madara.”

Madara’s lips went thin in understanding and sympathy. “We are clan heads Hashi. Sacrifices must be made.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for the next chapter...


	31. You shine, you glow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready?

Kakashi opened his eyes slowly. It was getting more and more difficult, more and more painful to maintain a connection with her. His fingers traced the lines of the seal on his chest, he sighed, it had worked. The seal was empty, the scroll had transferred completely. He closed his eyes again. He wished he could sleep forever, be with her forever but his time was running out, he had very little left in him to give. 

...but he would give it to her. To the very end, she would have his all, his everything. 

“I didn’t think you were going to make it back Kakashi.” Naruto’s voice called him back from his tired haze. “It's dangerous what you’re doing. I told you man, you’re already pushing your limits. You know what happens if you don’t make it back in time? Your soul remains there forever!”

Naruto stood abruptly, his fists clenched at his sides. “Damn it man, I know you love her. I love her too but fucking hell...do you think for one moment she would let you do this? Risk your soul just to talk to her!”

“Yes.” Kakashi turned his head to look at the Hokage. “She would, because she would know she wouldn’t be able to stop me from doing whatever it took to see her one last time.”

Naruto threw his hands up in the air. “Whatever, and when your soul doesn’t return to your body…”

“Shut up Naruto!” Ino glared at her Hokage. “We’re all taking a risk here okay, particularly Kakashi. Sakura deserves this, it’s the only fucking thing we can do for her! I know you’re worried but Kakashi’s right, she wouldn’t stop us because she knows we would do it anyway so shut up and help me sit him up.”

Naruto grit his teeth...she was right, they both were and he knew it, but the hell if he was going to lose anyone else. Sasuke, the bastard was dead. Sakura was gone and Kakashi...Kakashi wouldn’t be with them much longer...not at the rate he was going. Naruto helped Ino lift Kakashi into a sitting position, then leaned back against the wall of the small studio apartment.

“Thanks guys, and thanks Ino for your help.” Kakashi smiled at the Yamanaka.

“I never thought it would work.” Ino said honestly. “When you two came to me and asked me to try something, I never thought you meant sending part of your soul through time using a makeshift version of the time transfer seal that sent Sakura back.”

Kakashi opened and closed his eyes quickly. It took some time to readjust after seeing Sakura again. Sometimes, he would see an imprint of her energy or her likeness after leaving her. Sometimes she would remain with him for days, other times, just minutes.

The first time they had tried it, had been over ten months ago. It had nearly killed Ino and him both. They had spent the next two weeks in the hospital from chakra drain.

When they tried it again, Naruto helped, giving them each a bit of nine tails chakra. After that, Kakashi slowly began speaking to Sakura more and more instead of just watching her, pretending he was just a memory. 

When the Lord First had made contact with her...he knew it was time to reach out to her more, he had realized his mistake in sealing her memories. She needed to remember, to protect herself.

He couldn’t break the seal from his world though. The Anbu seal he had placed on her, was a strong one. She had to want to break it, she had to break it with her own strength, the only thing he could do...was to remind her of the person she had once been, to make her want to remember.

Kakashi had been conflicted at first, seeing her current situation, but when Tobirama Senju and Izuna Uchiha had made themselves known in her life, then Madara Uchiha and White Zetsu...he knew he had to force her to remember, so that history didn’t’ repeat itself...or happen at all…if he could help her, she would be helping all of them by changing things before they had even happened.

Was it right of them to do such a thing? He didn’t know and he didn’t care. He only cared about Sakura.

He hated seeing her with that white haired Senju bastard but...he couldn’t be with her anymore and he wanted her to be happy. Part of him was pleased she had found someone that looked like him, reminded her of him, but part of him worried that it was a poor coping mechanism. She seemed happy, but for how long, and would she adapt when...when others were introduced into her life?

His heart hurt and it wasn’t from Ino’s soul transfer jutsu that sealed part of his soul into the Uzumaki seal, it was seeing his baby kiss another man...a good man...but another man.

“I’m sure you already know this Kakashi, but you only have enough...life force for one more transfer.” Ino’s blue eye held his coal ones from behind her bangs.

He nodded and Naruto whined. “I know.”

“So...when did you uh, want to see her again?” Naruto asked instead of the other question that was on all of their minds. When are you going to die…

“Not yet. I need to rest. I’m not sure when.” Kakashi laid his hands over his chest and closed his eyes again. When he closed his eyes, he could almost see what Sakura saw sometimes. His soul mate...that’s what Pakkun had told him. Sakura was his soul mate, that was the only way this worked.

Ino pulled on Naruto’s sleeve. “Come on knuckle head, let’s leave him to rest.”

“Yeah, okay. Let us know if you need anything Kakashi.” Naruto looked one more time at the man laying in his bed, surrounded by Sakura’s pink pillow, Sakura’s nightgown and Doctor’s coat.

Kakashi raised his hand. “Will do.” He murmured.

Naruto frowned, but Ino had started pulling on his sleeve again, more forcefully.

“Leave him be Naruto.” She said once they had left Kakashi’s apartment. “Let him have these moments, he doesn’t have many left.”

Naruto nodded, ignoring the tears slipping down Ino’s cheeks. He already knew that.

“Sasuke, that bastard...this is all his fault.” Naruto couldn’t believe how blind all of them had been, how careless and stupid...if they had been more aware, had paid more attention...this never would have happened.

“Don’t say that name around me.” Ino hissed. “That asshole is dead and good riddance.”

Naruto nodded. “Yeah.”

Kakashi bit his thumb and pressed his hand to his comforter.

“Hey boss.” Pakkun turned three times, pawed at the blanket, then settled down, his head on Kakashi’s knee.

“Thanks for the scroll.” Kakashi said, his breath coming up short.

“No problem, she has it then huh?”

“Yeah.” Kakashi smiled.

“You warned her about them right?”

“Yeah.” Kakashi looked down his nose at the pug from his relaxed position. “Don’t worry Pakkun, my baby can handle a couple of sharp toothed wolves. Besides, you said they came to you. They won’t kill her, they want her badly.”

“Yeah, they do.” Pakkun scratched his head with his back leg. “The ones that were left, demanded to know where she was, her name on their contract had turned black again.”

Kakashi nodded, they had talked of it before. It was how he had found out they were soul mates. The wolves had told them.

“What do you know of this man, your relative, what was his name?” Pakkun cocked his head to the side. He had forgotten what the wolf had said.

“Hajime Hatake.” Kakashi said the name slowly. He was tired, very tired. “I’m his reincarnation apparently, my father always told me I reminded him of his grand father, now I know why.” Kakashi chuckled to himself.

“Do you think she knows?” Pakkun asked.

“No, how can she?” Kakashi opened his eyes and looked at the pug.

“You know her, she knows everything. She’ll notice the similarities.” Pakkun insisted. The pug always had a soft spot for Sakura, maybe because they used the same shampoo.

“Maybe.” Kakashi had no doubt. His baby was a very clever woman. “Tobirama Sama had made his claim on her clear though and Sakura does not seem opposed. I am happy for her.”

“She hasn’t met Hajime yet.” Pakkun muttered.

“I just want her to be happy.” Kakashi closed his eyes again. “Let me rest Pakkun.”

“Right boss.” Pakkun laid his head back down on Kakashi’s knee. He missed Sakura and was glad she was doing okay in the past, but he couldn’t help but think Kakashi was being a bit too selfless. Tobirama Senju was a good man yes, but Hajime was her soul mate, whether she knew it or not, Sakura belonged with Kakashi Hatake, in this life or his past lives.

Kakashi’s voice came out of the comfortable silence and his hand came down over Pakkun’s head.

“It will be okay Pakkun. Don’t worry. I’ve had dreams about Sakura she’ll be fine and so will the Senju...in the end.” Kakashi’s hand dropped from Pakkun’s head...he was asleep.

“I hope so, boss.” Pakkun closed his eyes, a small popping dog fart escaping him.

Tobirama walked around the campsite they had picked out marking off the position for the houses using small tags that he placed on the trunks of the trees. Looking down at his map periodically to make sure he was marking them correctly.

He could feel Sakura’s chakra signature moving up and down the river and wondered what she was doing. He knew she must have felt his as well but she hadn't come to investigate.

A loud shrieking scream rent the air and had him looking up to the sky, two kunai in his hand at the ready, his map dropping to the forest floor at his feet.

Tobirama narrowed his eyes as a black and brown hawk landed on a branch above his head giving him a piercing look of disdain. He looked up at the bird…”May I help you summons?”

“Hum, so you knew I was a summons. How fortunate for you.” Shinrai continued to glare at the Senju.

“What does Madara want?” Tobirama knew it must be one of Madara’s hawks. It had his arrogance.

“Not Lord Madara, Sakura. She wants to know if you want grilled fish or chicken soup for dinner.” The hawk spat the words out with the most disgusted air about it that he had ever hoped to witness in a summons. 

Tobirama’s mouth twitched. He had never had the urge to laugh more than with or at that woman. She had sent Madara Uchiha’s proud summons to ask him what he wanted for dinner…

“Why is Madara Uchiha’s summons carrying messages for Sakura?” Tobirama asked the hawk instead of answering her.

“None of your business.” The hawk said flatly, yellow eyes boring into his natural red. “Soup or fish, Senju.”

“Fish.” Tobirama bowed correctly to the summons.

“Hum...I suppose I can see why she likes you.” Shinrai bowed a wing to the man and flew off toward the river where he knew Sakura to be.

“Interesting.” Tobirama slid his kunai back into his pouch and pulled out another tag, picking his map up from the ground to finish marking the position of the houses before meeting Sakura for dinner.

She was sitting on her porch when he stepped out of the woods in front of her home. She smiled as he walked toward her, bowed from the waist and sat down beside her, their arms brushing lightly against each other.

“How was the meeting?” Sakura asked him.

“Productive.” He didn’t elaborate.

They sat in comfortable silence, watching the sun creep ever lower over the trees.

“I made grilled fish.” She smiled, thinking of how disgruntled Shinrai had been when she had flown down to tell her Tobirama’s reply by the river earlier.

“I look forward to it.” He smiled more easily around her now.

“Shall we go inside?” Sakura rose to her feet and smiled down at him.

“If you like.” He took her offered hand, rose and pulled her into a gentle kiss.

Sakura watched Tobirama while they ate together. He was aware of her silent scrutiny of him but didn’t seem to mind. He met her eyes every now and then with a nod and continued eating.

“The fish is good.” He commented after they had finished eating and she had set their tea out on the table. “I like it plain, the way you make it.”

“I remember, from Tanzaku.” She stirred her tea, mixing in the added pinch of cinnamon.

“I brought you something.” He laid a small storage scroll on the table between them. “I bought it when we were in Tanzaku but it wouldn’t have been appropriate for me to give it to you then.” He cleared his throat.

“Is it appropriate now?” Sakura asked him seriously.

Tobirama nodded, his eyes on her, she wasn’t being coy, she was asking him...how he felt about her, he understood. “I believe it is.”

“...and if you’re wrong?” Sakura looked down at her hands, pressing her chakra into the scroll, a small box appeared. Sakura looked at Tobirama who simply stared back at her, his expression fake and unreadable.

She had no idea what was in the box, but she had learned Tobirama didn’t give gifts lightly, to hold something back because he thought that it had been inappropriate at the time to give it to her, and now that it was appropriate...said volumes.

He nodded to the box. “I wanted you to have it.”

Sakura pulled the box across the table to herself, looked at Tobirama one more time and pulled the string that tied the lid down. “Oh.” She breathed out and set the lid down next to the box on the table.

“It’s a necklace.” Sakura picked the delicate necklace out of the box and turned it over in her hand. “It’s lovely Tobi.”

“The pendant is pink jade.” He watched her trace the outline of the kanji with the tip of her nail. “It means ‘Light’, or ‘Illumination’.” He waited.

“Light.” Sakura looked up at him and he blushed.

“When I felt your chakra in Tanzaku, it was so light and airy, calming...you were making the soldier pills for the Uchiha, I left remember, to get you more clothes and I saw that at one of the high end vendors stalls.” He paused thinking over his words. He wanted to explain himself correctly. “I saw it and...felt that it had already belonged to you.”*

“You shine Sakura.” Tobirama said quietly. “You glow.”

Sakura blushed. No one had ever said something so sweet to her before. “Thank you Tobi.” She whispered.

“May I put it on you?” He rose from his seat and moved to her side of the table when she nodded.

Tobirama took the necklace from her fingers and lifted it up and over her head clasping it securely around her neck. His fingers traced the gold chain, each link of the chain winking at him from the fading light that spilled into the kitchen through the window.

“It suits you.” He cleared his throat, lifted her hair more comfortably over the back of the chain and let it settle down her back.

He remained behind her, his hands resting on her shoulders. Sakura tilted her head back to look at him and saw a satisfied sort of approving look on his face. Tobirama didn’t ask to kiss her this time, he didn’t feel that he needed to now. Slowly he bent his head, giving her time to reject him or to pull away if she wanted, but she didn’t.

“Tobi.” His name was mumbled from her lips as he kissed her.

“Sakura?” He moved away just a little in case she wanted him to stop kissing her.

“Thank you for the necklace Tobi.” She smiled into his next kiss.

“Thank you for letting me give it to you.” Did she understand, he wondered. “Jewelry is special.”

She nodded.

“It means something.” He insisted as he kissed her again.

“This means something too.” She turned in her chair and pulled him closer as she stood up and kissed him again.

“Sakura.” Tobirama pulled away from her reluctantly. “We are in your home, alone.” He told her.

“I know.” She didn’t understand.

“Without a chaperone.” He pointed out.

“A chaperone?” She still didn’t understand.

“You are not married and I am a single male.” He said, his ears reddening.

“Oh!” Sakura laughed. “Yes, I suppose you are.”

She understood, he was relieved.

“You spent the night with me last night.” She reminded him.

“We’re building a village now though, tomorrow morning Hashirama and I will be setting up housing for the crews in the area we picked out. It will be the start of the residential section of the village.” He wanted her to know she wouldn’t be alone soon and he wished to use this as a segway into their hospital conversation.

“Your reputation, will...be at risk if we continue as we are.” Tobirama crossed his arms so he didn’t reach out for her again. “I would not shame you.”

Sakura smiled, he meant it. His concern was genuine. “Thank you Tobirama, but you know, nothing more than kissing would happen.”

Tobirama choked. “I meant no disrespect, I was not implying that we were, would...I didn’t…”

Sakura laughed. “I know.” She held her hands up in front of her. He was a good man. Kakashi was right. “Thank you for being such a good friend Tobirama. You’re the friend I didn’t know I needed.”

“Do you kiss all of your ‘friends’?” He asked her bluntly.

“Just you.” Sakura laughed. “Show me that map you’ve been dying to show me since you got here and then take me into the woods and show me where the houses will be built.”

Tobirama smiled and pulled the papers from his pouch laying them out over her table. Sakura removed the plates and refilled their tea cups as they sat down to go over the plans that had been discussed in the meeting earlier that day.

“...and here is where the academy will go.” He looked up at her when he had finished telling her their plans and pointing out the different locations of the buildings on the map.

“It’s remarkable. It’s almost exactly the same but...also very different.” They hadn’t had much opportunity to speak of what she knew. She hadn’t told him that she was a Konoha shinobi, that the village they were building would be named Konoha.

Tobirama looked up from the map. “You’ve...been to the village we’re building...in your time, haven’t you.”

Sakura bit her lip and nodded, her eyes tearing up but she refused to cry. Kakashi wanted her to be happy, he wouldn’t want her to cry anymore, he had always hated it when she cried.

“Sakura, are you...were you…” He dropped his hands from the map and stood up straight looking at her with new interest. “Were you from our village?”

She nodded. “Yes, but this…” She waved her hand at the map. “Is not the same village. There isn’t a Senju compound or an Uchiha compound, the houses are all mixed together.” She sniffed.

“That was Izuna’s idea.” Tobirama looked down at the map, the basic layout clearly marked with his fine, precise print.

“Izuna...died in your last war with the Uchiha, he never got to be a part of this in my time.” Sakura recalled the one paragraph in her history book at the academy now...she had forgotten, like the rest of her class about the second Uchiha brother...one paragraph to remember the man and all that he was to history. What he had been to Madara...

“He died?” Tobirama understood now. They would have gone to war again, they were preparing for it, planning on it before Hashirama had signed and sent the treaty to Madara. He had even told his brother, he hoped it would be the last war. “Who, who killed Izuna, do you know?”

Sakura couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. They spilled over the bottom fold of her eyes and fell onto her kitchen table. “You did Tobirama.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me...please...
> 
> What do you think?
> 
> How many chapters was that today, I forget. Anyway, trying to finish this fic while I can, or at least get as much done on it as possible.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter for the night.
> 
> Five chapters is the most I have ever written in one day and I can not believe I pulled it off...thank you for all of your comments and support! Couldn't have done it without you!

“I think. I’m dying.” Hashirama collapsed to the ground, his tongue hanging dramatically out of his mouth. Sakura rolled her eyes.

“Get up idiot, you still have two more houses to make before you can take a break.” Tobirama nudged his brother with the toe of his foot.

Sakura giggled appreciatively at their drama. Their constant squabbling was entertaining. She had heard them long before the sun had fully risen in the sky that morning. Hashirama had been complaining, very loudly, that he didn’t want to build all of the houses today. He wanted to make the government buildings first, claiming they were more important being closer to Sakura.

Which made absolutely no sense to anyone except Hashirama.

Tobirama pointed out, just as loudly, that the houses were needed first, to house the work crews, as discussed in their meetings.

Sakura gave up any further attempts to sleep when the crashing of wood vibrated her home and the loud rushing of Tobirama’s water jutsu rearranged the riverbank a mile from her house. Yawning, she had dressed, sleepy eyed, she had grabbed her wrap and walked the mile down the river to see Madara and his brother Izuna sitting on her rock...enjoying the show.

“Tobi.” Hashirama began to whine again.

“Ugh, you had better not act this way in front of the villagers.” Tobirama rubbed his hands over his face in exasperation. 

“Just a small break. My hands hurt from all of the building.” Hashirama lifted one of his hands in front of his face and sat up. “See?”

“There’s, nothing, there.” Tobirama grit out in between his teeth.

“Was he like this when you were kids?” Izuna asked his brother out of the side of his mouth, knowing full well both of the Senju could hear him.

“Worse, he would flop on the ground depressed, then insult you when you felt bad and began to apologize to him.” Madara said out of the side of his own mouth, making Sakura laugh.

“I’m glad he is feeling better though. He has been down for the last few days.” Madara added.

Hashirama cast his friend a look of complete betrayal before smiling at Sakura who tentatively smiled back at him.

“If you say so.” Izuna shook his head as Hashirama jumped to his feet and came to sit beside them, inching slightly closer to Sakura as he did so. Izuna narrowed his eyes at the man.

“The houses look wonderful Hashirama.” Sakura complimented her friend. 

She still hadn’t been able to figure out what the vine or their flowers did. She knew she had seen them somewhere before but she hadn’t had enough time to test them, much less prove Hashirama had grown them there on purpose. Her gut told her otherwise but logic told her...there was no proof of foul play, by Hashirama or anyone else.

He had seemed happy enough when they had greeted one another that morning, and Madara had just said he hadn’t been himself for the last few days, she was just being paranoid like she had previously thought.

Sakura looked up at Tobirama who was looking at the new houses, then back down at his map, probably deciding which house his brother should make next.

“These houses are for the work crews correct?” Sakura asked the men present, leaving it up to them to decide who would answer her.

“Yes.” Madara answered her.

“When their work is complete will you offer one of the homes to them or pay them for their work, perhaps take the charge out of the home from their pay?” She suggested. “They may wish to join the village. If you offer them a nice home, I bet they would be more willing to stay and the ones who don’t stay will help spread the word about our village, as well as the offer.”

Hashirama’s mouth quirked. She was brilliant. “That is a genius idea Sakura.” He complimented her, patting her on the leg.

“It is.” Tobirama said without turning around. “We should make the offer to each of the workers with a small plot of land.”

“They won’t need land if there is a market.” Sakura pointed out. “Then it leaves more room for more houses, to condense the population. The market won’t be up and running right away, it will take time to attract merchants on our own...and we already have too much to do anyway. Supply and demand you know. Let the civilians attract the merchants through their needs. That way the merchants will see what an open and valuable market there will be here.”

Madara opened his mouth , then shut it. She thought...like a politician, no...she spoke from experience. 

“She’s right.” He said surprising the other three. “We can house more civilians this way and they will do the work of attracting merchants so we can focus our energy on other things. More important things.”

“We don’t want more civilians than shinobi though right?” Izuna asked.

“Why not?” Sakura asked him, confused. “Missions aren’t the only thing that brings in capital.” She said smoothly.

Tobirama smiled. “No, but in the beginning we will be relying mostly on mission pay, however later when we become more established, I can see a decent revenue from market and specialty sales for the village.”

Sakura nodded, thinking in her head. “As well as from medical care. We will be the only village with a skilled medic like myself.” 

Even in her own time medic nin were not as skilled as her or her shisou and no one was now, here. Konoha was known for their medical prowess, because of Tsunade and Sakura. Sakura knew exactly how much revenue the hospital brought in from working beside her Hokage for years and taking over as head medic when Tsunade retired.

“People will come from the surrounding villages to receive medical care here, as well as other nations.” She continued. “...and they will pay us handsomely for it.”

“Should we allow that though. Should we treat others' afflictions, from different nations and different villages?” Tobirama asked.

“If they are allied with us, why not? The more we have to offer, the more stability we show, the more successful our village will be.” Sakura was right and she knew it. Tobirama knew it, she looked at Madara who was looking at her...and Madara knew it too.

“With the village you mean?” Madara asked her.

“Yes.” She smiled at him and he smiled back. “When people hear what we are doing here, they will want to do it in their own nations too.”

Madara saw the conviction in her eyes, in the set of her jaw...yes, she knew. He was right, she was...from a different era, long after their own. No wonder she was so odd...

Tobirama nodded. “It would be nice to ally ourselves with others, if the other nations make their own villages.”

“World peace...I never thought I would see the day.” Hashirama smiled a deceptive smile. “We could be the start.” He looked to Madara who understood his friend perfectly.

“Perhaps Hashi, but we are not the only clan that have been at war with one another for decades, centuries. Not everyone would attempt to do what we are doing here.” Madara said.

“Yes, but once they see how well this works out for us, once they see how prosperous we will be, they will want to find peace as well.” Hashirama insisted. He was sure of it, and their village being the first, being the ones to show the world that it was possible...would have the power.

“Or they will be threatened by us.” Tobirama interjected. “Two of the most powerful clans of our time have made peace and are banding together to make a village, we are strong, we are feared, I have no doubt a new set of problems will arise with the construction of our village.”

“Which is why I didn’t want Sakura to be alone while we built it.” Hashirama said, changing the subject abruptly. “Not that I do not think you are capable of defending yourself Sakura but if some harm were to come to you because of Madara and I’s dream, I would be devastated.”

“I lived here for a year alone, Hashirama, I’ll be fine.” She tried to smile. “I don’t need anyone to stay with me. Tobi will be here.” She motioned to the houses he had just built.

“Yes well…” Hashirama hesitated. He wanted her to come stay at the Senju compound until the village had been built, but...

“She’ll be fine.” Madara was annoyed. His friend needed to focus. Sakura was an intriguing woman but they had other important things to focus on. 

They needed her knowledge. Hashirama didn’t know that Madara understood what the man was thinking, but he didn’t want the fool to jeopardize the most important asset they had to build their village...a villager, from the future. A kunoichi who knew what had worked and what hadn’t. 

A thought just occurred to him...Sakura knew what enemies they would have in the future too and how he...perhaps why he...was one of them. Later he told himself, he needed to speak with her alone later...

“The work crews should be arriving over the next few days. One of my summons returned yesterday evening with their signed contract. We can speak to them about our revised offer when they get here and draw up a new contract if it is needed.” Madara said bringing things back into focus.

“In order to do that, we need to have houses to offer them.” Tobirama pointed to his brother, then the map. “The next one goes over there.” He pointed several yards to the left by the river.

“Yes, fine Tobi.” Hashirama got up and walked with his brother to the next location marked on the map, leaving Sakura with Izuna and Madara.

“Have you thought of any names for the village yet Madara?” Sakura asked the Uchiha.

“I have a few in mind, yes.” He watched her, wondering what she would say next, should he say it, should he bring it up? Madara looked at his brother, no, not in front of Izuna.

“I’m sure you will choose a good one.” She rose to her feet. “I am going to go look at the houses, Hashirama’s wood style is really fascinating.” Sakura left the Uchiha brothers to themselves.

“She assumes you’ll be the one to name the village.” Izuna laughed. Madara shrugged. “So what were you thinking of calling the village?”

“I have a few names in mind, but I haven’t mentioned any of them to Hashirama yet. He might have a name in mind already.” He looked to where Sakura had walked out of one of the houses, walking across the forest to another one, opening the door and moving inside. “The name can be decided after the village is built.”

Izuna nodded, his eyes going to Sakura as well.

Two days later the workers began arriving, some with their families but most of them were alone or in small pre acquainted groups. 

Sakura sat in her garden drinking tea and reading one of the books Tobirama had brought her from his own personal collection on seals, when Madara Uchiha flared his chakra in greeting to her, from the treeline.

She had felt his approach two miles out, he hadn’t concealed his chakra, and she wondered if it was because of the new workers a mile from her home. It had been suggested that she stay at either the Senju or the Uchiha compound until the village was more established, but Hashirama’s suggestion was not only shot down by Sakura, but also Izuna and Tobirama. Madara had stayed silent throughout the argument, which had amused her.

“Madara.” Sakura rose to her feet and bowed politely, eyeing him with minor suspicion. They were alone.

“Sakura. I hope I am not disturbing you?” Madara waited to be invited to sit down, there were things he wished to discuss and he didn’t wish to risk offending her before he asked her his questions.

“Not at all, please, sit.” Sakura sat back down, laying her book on the table, giving Madara her full attention. She knew why he was there. “What may I do for you? I am not ready to try to pull Black Zetsu from you, perhaps tomorrow.”

“Ah, that isn’t why I am here, but thank you.” Madara folded his hands over one another on top of the table. Now that he was here, he wasn’t sure where to start.

“The rabbit goddess you spoke of…” He felt ridiculous saying the words out loud. “...and this Black and White Zetsu…”

Sakura watched him with knowing eyes. He wanted to know about her war and about the role he had played in it, how he had been manipulated by the Zetsus’, and how he had been used to bring Kaguya back. Sakura shuddered, the blood in her veins went cold and she pressed her lips together.

Madara noticed the change in her. “Is it that terrifying?”

“It isn’t something I like to think about but...if I tell you…” If she told him, what would happen. 

Would they be able to change what happens...would there even be a war. She had planned to rid him of Black Zetsu, ending the possibility on her own but...Black Zetsu was the more cunning of the two, the stronger of the two she wasn’t entirely sure she could destroy him by herself.

Honestly, she didn’t know how the man was keeping control of the beast inside of him...but, he was Madara Uchiha and Indra Otsutsuki’s reincarnate. Did he know? She wondered.

Madara waited patiently for her to decide what to tell him, if she should tell him. Although her face was blank, wiped of any tell tale emotion, he could see her pulse jumping in her neck. She had much to tell him, he could wait.

“May I ask you something Madara?” Sakura looked him in the eye, something she usually didn’t do for obvious reasons.

Madara inclined his head to her.

Sakura swallowed. This was a risk. Should she ask him…

“What would you do if Izuna was murdered?” The words hadn’t even fully left her lips when she found herself pinned to the ground, Madara Uchiha on top of her, his knee pressed into her chest and his short sword held to her neck.

“So fast.” She swallowed shallowly as a small trickle of blood escaped between her skin and his blade to soak into the fertile earth under her head.

“Is that a threat, kunoichi?” Madara bent over top of her and hissed in her ear.

“No Madara Sama.” Sakura said calmly. “Not a threat. That threat has passed, he is still alive isn’t he? In my time...he did not survive your last war with the Senju.” Sakura looked up into the sharingan eyes of Madara Uchiha.

“Izuna...died?” Madara drew his sword back from her neck and removed his knee from her chest, but he didn’t move off of her body yet. He still had her pinned to the ground with his weight. “Who...which Senju killed him? Was it, was it Tobirama?”

“Yes.” She continued to look up at him, into his red eyes so he could see the truth in her face. “...but he is alive, because that battle didn’t happen...because Hashirama signed the peace treaty.”

“I see.” Madara seemed to realize he was still pinning her down and immediately removed his body from hers.

“Do you see?” Sakura sat up rubbing her arm and using a bit of chakra to heal her neck wound from his sword.

Madara watched her heal her wound. “I’m sure I don’t see nearly as much as you do but, I understand what you are saying. Izuna is alive because of Hashirama.”

“No.” Sakura shook her head. “Tobi told me that you sent that treaty to Hashirama who had repeatedly advocated for peace with your clan. You are to thank for your brother’s continued existence Madara.”

Warmth surrounded him and he felt the embarrassment of his face flushing. “You’re...the way you perceive things is...unique.” He said quietly.

“I apologize for...attacking you, again.” He picked himself up off of the ground and held his hand out to her.

“It’s okay. I’m sorta getting used to it.” She tried to laugh but saw that he was grimacing. “I’m not upset, but I have to admit, you are very...intimidating now, just as much as you were then.”

“Am I?” He wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not.

“Yes and no actually.” Green eyes raked over his body, taking in his stance, his posture, his hands and his eyes. “You’re not nearly as insane as you were then, now you’re more...normal.”

“I see.” He said again with much less enthusiasm than before.

“I pitied you.” She said quietly, her eyes dropping to the ground, to his feet. “You were so empty, so willing to embrace something that wasn’t real to escape the pain of losing your last brother, of being an outcast in your own village that you helped create and having your clan turn against you one by one.”

“What?” Madara asked, shocked at her words.

Sakura looked up to find the most peculiar expression on his face. It made him look more human than he had ever looked to her before. 

“The Infinite Tsukuyomi is a genjutsu that traps the entire world in an illusion, enslaving them in a dream so that their chakra may be drawn upon for the rabbit goddess. Everyone is trapped in their own minds, in a dream that they create, their own ideal world.” She explained. “I think, in your own way, you were trying to save everyone from...the misery of reality.”

Madara sat down in the chair at her table once more, his expression blank. “How did I cast such a thing?” It was almost ludicrous.

“Where did I get such power?” He knew he didn’t have the power to cast such a genjutsu over the entire world, at least, not right now he didn’t.

“Performing the Infinite Tsukuyomi requires the Rinne Sharingan and the chakra of the Ten-Tails.” Sakura told him with another shudder,

“You mean I...became the ten tails jinchuriki and...the Rinne Sharingan…” Madara didn’t understand, that was...nearly impossible. He didn’t even have the Eternal Mangekyou sharingan. This was stuff of legends not reality...he looked at Sakura as she took her seat across the table from him. Sakura who had…”How are you here?” He asked her.

“I’ve seen you before in my head in different clothes, in the village we are building now the village that hasn’t been built yet, how are you here if you’re, if you’re…” Madara drew his hand back, he hadn’t realized he had been reaching out for her.

“If I’m from the future Konoha?” Sakura smiled a humorless smile at him.

“Yes, if you’re from the future, Konoha...is that what the village is named?” He smiled.

“Yeah.” Sakura smiled back at him, “You named it. Konoha gakure, The Village Hidden in the Leaves.” She laughed at the surprise on his face and the pleasure at her words.

“Izuna does he, does he know? He told us that you shared part of your past with him, did you tell him that you’re...you?” Madara couldn’t bring himself to say it again.

“My past? No, he doesn’t know. I thought it best not to tell many people.” The sarcasm was thick in her tone and Madara narrowed his eyes.

“I had to ask.” He said gruffly.

“Of course you did, you’re an Uchiha.” She said offhandedly, relaxing a little more around him now that they understood one another better.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He crossed his arms over his chest and she laughed.

“This is so strange, sitting here with you, with all of you, talking, building this.” She ignored his question to wave her arm through the air encompassing her surroundings.

The scowl immediately left Madara’s face, he hadn’t stopped to wonder how she would feel, being here. “Do you miss, your Konoha?” He asked her gently.

“I miss the ones I love, the ones that I was forced to leave behind, when I was ripped from my time and sent to this one.” She looked out over the forest and took a deep breath.

“Ripped from your time? How?” She didn’t come back on purpose…

“Someone placed a seal on me.” She growled a low ominous growl, her hand rubbing the base of her neck as though searching for something, trying to feel something that was no longer there.

“Who?” Madara asked, impressed anyone could get a seal on the woman as skilled as she was.

Sakura lifted her chin and looked Madara in the eye. “Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha, the last Uchiha of Konoha, my childhood friend and Teammate.”

She took a deep breath. “Your relative, the last one and your reincarnations, not of you but of the first you, Indra Otsutsuki.”

“What?” Madara realized he tended to ask that of her more and more frequently.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for errors in last few chapters, I will go back and fix them.
> 
> For my regular readers, you know why...not sleeping an all that. For my new readers...I have issues lol.

“Word has already begun to spread of our alliance, Madara. People are talking about how we are building a village together. I think Mito may have told a few merchants from The Land of Eddies.” Hashirama said sheepishly. 

“Of course she did.” Madara rolled his eyes internally, Hashirama knew she would, that’s why he had told her...

“Word is spreading and uh, missives are coming in. Other clans in the surrounding areas...they want to join us Madara.” Hashirama beamed at him from across the low table where they were sitting in the Uchiha compound. He was simply vibrating with excitement.

Madara took a quick calming breath. He hated it when Hashirama got like this, he always got too excited and took things too far. The man had almost no self control.

“Which clans?” Madara asked. 

He knew some of the clans that would be joining the village from his conversation with Sakura yesterday. One in particular, he did not want to join their village. The Shimura clan. She had told him, briefly, their involvement in his clan’s demise. They had decided together, that they would not let that happen, again.

“Sarutobi has sent a formal request to come view the village once it is further under construction, the Inuzuka and the Aburame clans are interested in coming to see our progress as well.” Hashirama tapped his finger against his mouth thinking. “Oh, and the Hatake clan wrote a one line missive saying they thought it was an interesting concept, but they didn’t ask to come visit.”

“The Hatake Clan?” Madara murmured.

“Yes, I was surprised by their interest in our village. They tend to keep to themselves for the most part. Lone wolves in a sense, only close to those in their clan, never venturing out of their den for alliances, but are a friend to all, usually. Unless you piss them off” Hashirama said.

“Invite them, after the Uzumaki have come and gone. One or two clan heads and their assembly at a time. We want to give each clan the attention they deserve if they wish to join us, and they may, after seeing what we have started.” Madara nodded to himself...they would. Sakura had told him so and he...believed her.

“This is so much more than we had dreamed of isn’t it Madara?” Hashirama’s voice had gone quiet.

Madara observed his friend silently. “Not getting cold feet on me now are you?” He joked.

“What? No. No, it's just. I wish my other brothers could have seen this, been a part of it.” Hashi looked down at his hands, his fists clenched together, then relaxed in his lap. It had happened so long ago...they had been dead and gone for years but the pain remained.

“I know. I miss my other brothers too sometimes but...we still have Izuna and Tobirama.” Madara was grateful, grateful that Izuna was still alive, and like Sakura had said, part of this.

“Yeah, true.” His friend said and smiled. “...and I will be married soon. Maybe, maybe it will be alright to be married, to have someone there all the time, knowing where they are and that they are waiting for you.”

Madara nodded. Stability. He understood. The fear that gripped you when you left the compound, not knowing if everyone would be there when you returned, if you returned...was something every shinobi of their time learned to live with. Having stability, knowing that when you left and when you came back that things would be the same...that your people would be alive...was...almost too good to fathom for men like them.

“I can imagine. I think, Mito will be good for you Hashirama.” Madara set his cup down and looked out the window. “You’ll have someone, that is truly yours to call your own.” 

Something Madara didn’t have, something he had never put much thought into...never expecting to live long enough to have a family but now...maybe. His thoughts turned to Sakura. Sakura who was still clearly in love with her intended from her own time. Sakura who had invited Tobirama over for dinner the previous night. 

Sakura who...he couldn’t get out of his damn head whether he was awake or dreaming…

Sakura who was standing outside the door to his sitting room…

Knock knock.

“Uchiha Sama. Haruno Sakura is here to see you Uchiha Sama.” The maid slid the door open to his room and moved aside for Sakura to enter.

‘Haruno?’, Hashirama thought to himself...I thought she didn’t remember her last name...

“Sorry to bother you Madara, hello Hashi, but I wanted to tell you my reserves are full and that I am ready to pull Black Zetsu from your body, if you would like.” Sakura bowed slightly and sat down beside Madara at the table uninvited.

Hashirama frowned. It seemed over the past two days Madara and Sakura had been spending more time with one another. He didn’t fault his friend for wanting to be near the woman and he had agreed to share her but…She had been spending more time with...everyone else and hardly any time at all with him and he had been the one to see her first. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that...

“Are you sure you are ready?” Madara cringed at the noise in his head slightly. “I would not mind if you wished to wait another day.” He winced.

Sakura smiled, “No, I think it is best if we do it now.” She smoothed down the front of her shirt, one that Tobirama had given her. “He’s trying to fight you isn’t he? I can feel his hatred from here.”

“Yes, he...doesn’t seem to care for you very much at all.” Madara tried to smile at her.

“I’m sure he doesn’t.” Sakura’s mouth twitched, that was saying it lightly.

Sakura turned to face Hashirama, “I think it would be wise for you to assist us Hashi, if you have time. As a wood style user, you might be able to restrain Black Zetsu long enough for me to...dismantle him, I honestly don’t know if I can do it on my own.” Like he would do in the future with the nine tails, Kurama.

“Of course Sakura. I would be happy to assist you, as well as Madara.” Hashirama nodded enthusiastically.

“Thank you.” Sakura looked back at Madara. She could feel his chakra spiking. It seemed Black Zetsu was getting nervous… “We should probably do this outside. Your home hasn’t been built yet, in the new village, has it?” She smiled at the Uchiha.

“Not yet.” He understood, this was going to be messy.

“Let’s give it a shot then.” Sakura’s mouth twitched.

She was nervous, they could both tell. Just what was this Black Zetsu...they wondered as they followed the pink haired woman outside into the training fields of the Uchiha compound, away from the homes of the clan members, where no one would interfere or get injured.

Sakura stood in front of Madara and Hashirama who stood side by side, her hand reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small silk bag. 

“I brought some of my chakra pills. They are a little different than the soldier pills I make. They are only to be used if you are about to die from chakra exhaustion. I have only used them three times before. They are incredibly dangerous but also...life saving.”

She handed one pill to each of them. “Do you understand? Do not take them unless you feel you have no more chakra left to use. Only use them if you are going to die from chakra exhaustion.”

They both nodded, looking down at the small black pill in their palms, then looked back up at her. She doubted either one of them had ever come close to using all of their chakra, both of them had so much more chakra than she did, aside from her Yin seal.

“I have regular soldier pills as well but um, the chakra pill is just in case.” She took a deep breath. “This isn’t going to be easy.” She warned them.

“What do you want us to do?” Madara asked her gently, laying a hand on her arm to calm her. 

If Madara was nervous, he didn’t show it...damn Uchiha’s...

“Just...don’t let him escape. I’m not sure what will happen. For whatever reason, he hasn’t tried to leave your body. He must know I killed his other half, and he must know what we are planning on doing. I think... he can’t leave you, because White Zetsu is dead. They were connected and I am not sure how they work but...I think if he could have left you, he would have by now.” Sakura speculated. 

“I agree. I wondered that myself and came to the same conclusion.” Madara patted her arm once more, then stepped back. “I’m ready.”

Sakura looked at Hashirama who nodded, “I’m ready.” He smiled.

“Okay, well...here goes nothing.” Sakura threw her arms out in front of her linking her fingers and cracked her knuckles, shaking her shoulders loose...she released her Yin seal and pushed as much chakra as she could into her hands, until they burned to capacity. 

Madara and Hashirama watched in fascination as black lines exploded from her mark on her forehead, glistened with a slight dark purple glow, cascading down her cheeks face and downward.

Hashirama watched her close her eyes, grit her teeth, then press both of her palms to Madara’s chest.

Madara jerked under her touch, he hadn’t been expecting such a tremendously powerful surge of...power from the woman. He realized then, everything he had thought of her, was nothing...compared to what he thought now. Even after everything he had witnessed from her...he had still, underestimated her.

It was such a strange feeling having her chakra forced into his body, through his skin, feeling it flood his internal organs seeping...into his soul. Then...like a switch...the calm was gone, the soothing sensation of her chakra exploded in his heart.

The Uchiha clan head fell to his knees, clutching at his heart. “What…” He gasped in pain, it felt like his soul was tearing at the seams. A small trickle of blood escaped his mouth and dribbled down the side of his chin.

“What the hell are you doing Sakura!” Izuna ran up beside her, his eyes wide. “Your face, your hands, what's going on!” He screamed at her looking at the blood on his brother’s chin.

“What are you doing to my brother!” He tried to pull her from Madara but chakra shot out from her arm where he had grabbed her and he flew from her body landing several yards away, his mouth opening and closing rapidly in shock. For a moment, he thought his heart had stopped beating.

“Izuna…” Madara moaned his brother's name.

“Madara!” Izuna ran back to them, worry and confusion in his eyes.

“Let. Her.” Those were the only two words he got out before he collapsed, Sakura falling with him to the ground scrambling to sit up beside him, her hands still on his chest.

“You think you’ve won?” The dark menacing voice of Black Zetsu filled her mind. “You think you killed me, my brother?” He taunted her.

“I did.” Sakura hissed. I killed your brother and I will kill you too. All the lives you’ve stolen, all of my friends, my family...the corruption and hatred...it’s all your fault Zetsu…”

“No, you’re wrong child, they wanted to kill, they wanted to die. I only helped them get what they desired, their darkest, deepest...desires.” Black Zetsu’s voice was smooth and seductive. “I could help you too, child. I know how you can go back. Wouldn’t you like to see him again? Your, Kakashi?” Zetsu cooed.

“What?” Sakura’s eye flew open and her chakra faltered. “You could...do that?”

“Don’t listen to him Sakura. Keep going, rip him from my body, from...me.” Madara spoke beside her, making her open her eyes. “Please.”

“Madara.” Sakura looked at the man next to her, then down where her hands were...on another Madara. “What is this?”

Sakura shook her head. “Lies, that’s all that drips from your foul mouth, lies Zetsu. I won’t listen, I can’t you’re, you’re...I’m going to end this now!”

Black Zetsu’s head rose up and out of Madara’s body, from the Madara on the ground and snickered wildly. “You’re too weak, you don’t have it in you, that’s why that Uchiha brat tricked you, faith...love...it means nothing, nothing! You’re mine now, this is my domain...neither one of you will escape alive. You’re not strong enough and you know it” 

Insane cackling filled both of their ears.

“I’m not weak! I’ve earned my place at the front! No...you’re wrong, you’re the weak one! ...and you are going...to...die…!” Sakura grabbed Black Zetsu by the neck and squeezed, pressing her chakra into his body and pulling him from the Madara that was on the ground before her. 

“I’m not going to...let you...do this...over and over to him!” She screamed pushing the last of her chakra into the cackling madness at the end of her finger tips.

Madara’s figure standing beside her began to flicker and fade. “You can do it Sakura, don’t give up.” He whispered in her ear. Warmth flowed over her...trust, faith...love...

“FOR KONOHA!” Sakura yelled out, releasing everything she had in her soul, her voice fading from her own head...lightning shot through her heart, she was dying...she had used all of her chakra and the pills...weren’t there…

“Sakura.” She could hear Hashirama’s voice from far away, as though he were speaking through a mask. “Sakura, eat this, chew...that’s it………………..” There was a hand behind her head, on her neck, where Sasuke had slapped the time seal on her...this intent, this anger and lust and...darkness...

Sakura’s eyes opened, her coils pulsed and she felt sick, but she knew this sickness...she had felt it before, three times before in her life. Renewed chakra surged through her forehead into her arms and through her fingers. 

“Madara.” She turned to look beside her but he was gone. The man on the ground groaned and kicked out. He was going to live and Zetsu was going to...die.

A wicked grin split her face and her green eyes glowed an electric green. “I win.” She sneered at the beast within. “We win.”

“No!” Black Zetsu yelled, “Impossible!” His claws lashed out at her face, his nails slashing and clawing for purchase but none came...he was fading, he was...

Light flashed before their eyes blinding them, Sakura felt a pulling and popping sensation behind her and then...they were falling. Sakura tightened her hold on Black Zetsu’s neck, she could feel her perspiration on the palms of her hands...she wasn’t going to lose her grip not now! So close, she was so close.

“You’re not getting away!” She flung herself onto the creature and wrapped her body around his. He screamed and kicked out at her, tried to engulf her in his spiny rib cage as they fell back to the earth...back to reality…her arms hugged themselves, air, there was only air. He had escaped...Black Zetsu had escaped!

The world exploded around them. Dirt and grass flew up into the air in waves. Trees were thrown aside like sticks and then the dust rose...and the screaming could be heard. An eerie sound, piercing in its volume, frightening in its sheer intensity...unearthly...demonic screaming…

Izuna shuddered, Hashirama lunged forward, making the hand signs for his signature jutsu, wood beams shooting out into the open field.

Everything happened so quickly, but when the dust finally settled...they could make out a spiny black form, slumped over the beams of Hashirama’s wood jutsu, Sakura leapt forward, small fists clasped tight around its neck, Madara Uchiha coughing and choking but alive at her feet.

“I’ve got you.” Sakura whispered triumphantly in Black Zetsu’s ear. “Die demon.”

Zetsu’s yellow eyes went wide with the realization that he had lost. “Mother!” He screamed, his pathetic call choked short by Sakura’s vengeance.

She squeezed, the lines along her body glowing a brilliant iridescent purple black. Black Zetsu exploded, then faded away...to join his other half.

Sakura collapsed to the ground, her body falling over Madara’s haphazardly. 

“You did it Sakura. Thank you.” Madara whispered in her ear. “I owe you, my life.”

His shaking arm came up to wrap around her shoulder as she faded in and out of consciousness. Hashirama fell to his knees beside his best friend and his...and Sakura, reached out for both of them as they lay sprawled out in the dirt and grime.

Izuna sat where he stood, his mouth hanging open, blinking rapidly. “Shit, that was...shit.”

No one saw Tobirama appear out of nowhere, no one heard his loud fretful questions, all eyes, all attention was on the woman..with pink hair, in the arms of the two clan heads...the ribbons on her body glowing purple to black to blue.

Uchiha of every age, man and woman looked on in awe and suspicion...who was this woman and had she really just saved their clan head, and if so...what exactly had she saved him from?

“How long?” Izuna asked Hashirama who sat on the bed beside Sakura in the guest room of the Uchiha’s main house.

“A day, maybe less, maybe more.” Hashirama looked down at Sakura’s sleeping face. The lines were gone, but the strain of pulling Black Zetsu from Madara Uchiha still clung to the corners of her mouth, etched the lines around her eyes...even her lips seemed less vibrant than usual. “I think, she almost died.”

Tobirama made a quiet wheezing noise that only Izuna heard. 

“She didn’t die though.” Izuna caught Tobirama’s eye. “...and neither did my brother. Thanks to you, and Sakura.” Izuna rose from his seat and bowed low to Hashirama.

“Thank you Senju Sama.” Izuna touched his forehead as he bowed, offering Hashirama his most sincere gratitude.

Hashirama flushed under the younger Uchiha’s words. “I did nothing. Sakura did everything, risked everything. I restrained the thing, but she pulled him from your brother. Thank her when she wakes.”

Izuna nodded and sat back down at the table. “What, was it? Do you know?”

“I am not entirely sure. Sakura…” Hashirama paused, how much should he say, how much did he owe Izuna… “...seemed to know it, had killed it’s brother that had taken hold inside her, like the black one had taken to Madara. It would be best to ask her.”

Izuna fingered the hem of his shirt thinking hard. “Did you hear what she said, while she fought it? She said she wasn’t going to let it do it over and over again to my brother.”

“I heard.” Hashirama laid his hand on Sakura’s forehead. “I don’t know what it meant by that anymore than you do though.”

Tobirama watched his brother...he wasn’t saying everything. His brother knew more than he was telling Izuna, but Tobirama suspected...Madara Uchiha, knew more.

“How is your brother doing Izuna, I saw that he was injured when I arrived.” Tobirama’s eyes remained on Sakura, like the others, but he spoke to Izuna.

“He is resting, but he will be fine. The medic says there was a small internal hemorrhage, but he is no longer bleeding and doesn’t seem to be in too much pain. When Sakura wakes, I am sure she will take care of him.” Izuna said, his eyes glazing over. “Kami man, what the hell would we do without her?”

All three men continued to look at the small sleeping figure in the bed.

Tobirama broke the silence. “We would have gone to war, and murdered one another one by one until there was no one left. She saved Madara today, but my gut tells me...she saved us all.”


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit different. Think outside of the box and remember the previous chapters... I know you will have questions but they will all be explained:P
> 
> Like real dreams, Sakura's jump around in time.
> 
> _Regular dreams_  
>  **Shared Connection while one of them is dreaming**

_“Its. Over.” Sakura watched the spiraling light of the past Hokages fly up into the sky and disappear._

_“It’s over.” Kakashi laid a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into his side, wrapping his arms around her._

_Sakura buried her face into the shredded front of his flak jacket. She wouldn’t cry, not now after they had won, not when they were still alive._

_“So what now?” Sasuke’s droning voice came to her from the shelter of Kakashi’s arms._

_Kakashi felt her stiffen and kissed the top of her head. “Now, we live, rebuild and endure, because we’re...shinobi.”_

_“Yeah! Shinobi, that’s right, we’ll rebuild and thrive and it will be great ya know cause now we’re all one.” Naruto’s hope for the future, the joy of survival and the truth in his words warmed her heart._

_“Yeah.” She turned in Kakashi’s arms. “We’ll rebuild.”_

_Sasuke watched the woman who had claimed to be in love with him since they were children, turn back to their old sensei. He watched as thousands of shinobi erupted into wild cheers of joy around him, and clenched his jaw in confusion._

_He should be happy, he should be grateful. They had just defeated a god and yet...as Sakura tilted her head back to kiss their old teacher...he felt nothing but...resentment and jealousy._

_Kakashi’s eyes met Sasuke’s as he kissed the woman in his arms, narrowing to knowing slits. Sasuke smirked, and opened his mouth to say something to the white haired jounin, but a heavy hand fell on his shoulder and he was pulled into a group hug by his best friend and other teammate…”Naruto.”_

_“We’ve done it man, we couldn’t have done it without you Sasuke, you heard great gramps, he said none of this could have been done without all four of us, but especially you and I right?” Naruto was beaming, high on the thrill of victory and life._

_Sasuke couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah dobe. We couldn’t have done it without all of us.”_

_His head turned back to see Sakura and Kakashi walking toward Tsunade and the other Kage, his arm over her shoulder. She turned her head, feeling his intent...and nodded stiffly to him._

_“Yeah, a new start right?” He muttered as Naruto dragged him off toward the rest of the Rookie 9. His eyes followed Sakura, Sakura who didn’t glance back, who walked on without him, away from him in the arms of Kakashi Hatake._

_“Yeah!” Naruto skipped along beside him, seemingly oblivious to his inner turmoil._

Madara turned in his sleep, a frown on his face. He had gone to check on Sakura before retiring for the night, but she hadn’t woken up yet. He hoped when he woke, she would be awake as well.

_“Sasuke, what are you doing here?” Sakura closed the door to her apartment behind her, her eyes narrowed in suspicion._

_“I wanted to talk to you. I heard something rather disturbing today.” He was sitting on her couch, making himself at home._

_“So you decided to break into my apartment?” She set her grocery bag down on the counter and put her hands on her hips. Arrogant Uchiha..._

_“You’ve been avoiding me. You stopped going to team dinners.” He paused and threw a tangled mess of wire at her._

_“You need better traps, these were child’s play Sakura. I thought you were stronger now.” He mocked her to see the fire flash in her eyes. He wasn’t disappointed._

_“Get out. You think everything is about you, like always geeze Sasuke, even after saving the world, you’re still the same. Leave, I don’t have time to deal with you right now.” Sakura pointed to the door, turned her back to him and started pulling her groceries from her bag, setting them on the counter in her kitchen._

_She felt the air change around her, felt the heat from his body against her back. Sasuke had both of her wrists in his hand, pulling her back into his chest. She could feel his lips moving against her skin, just under her ear._

_“Are you really going to marry Hatake?” He asked her quietly. “Have you really given up on me Sakura?”_

_Sasuke pressed his body into hers, bending her over the counter slowly, his lips at the back of her neck. Sakura spun in his grasp, jerking her wrists from his hand, and pressed two chakra infused fingers into the side of his neck, just under his lower right jaw...over his pressure point._

_“Yes I am, and yes I have given up on you, a long time ago Sasuke. I don’t love you like that anymore. If I ever really did.” Her voice was steady, calm...he couldn’t hurt her now, no matter what he said, she wasn’t weak, she had him in a very compromising position...and they both knew it._

_His hand slid up the back of her shirt, against her skin, she gasped, he moved, pushing his way into her mouth._

_“Do it then.” He said against her teeth. “Kill me Sakura.” Sasuke pushed her up onto the counter and forced her legs apart with his body. “If you have the guts.”_

_“Sasuke stop.” Her voice shook, she was humiliated. He knew she didn’t really want to kill him, he knew she wouldn’t really do it._

_“No.” His hand dropped to her pants and started to pull at her ties._

_“Sasuke no!” Sakura began to push against him, he laughed at her._

_“Make me Sakura.” He pulled her from the counter, turned her and pushed her flat onto the table, stepping up behind her pulling her pants down. “Show me how strong you are.”_

_“Sasuke, what the fuck are you doing man.” Naruto stood in the doorway of Sakura’s apartment, his mouth hanging open, realization of what was happening before his eyes coming to the surface. “Sakura, are you okay?”_

_“Do I look okay?” She growled, pushing herself up from her table._

_Sasuke smirked and walked past Naruto out the door and down the steps of her apartment. Naruto ran to his friend, pulling her to him by her arm. Sakura ripped her arm from his grasp and glared at him._

_“Why the fuck didn’t you punch that bastard through the wall?” Naruto demanded of her._

_“Don’t.” Sakura pulled her pants up and tied them slowly with trembling fingers. “Don’t tell Kakashi, please, please Naruto, he’ll, Kakashi would kill him, please.”_

_Naruto frowned. “Sakura...he’ll know. He’ll smell Sasuke on you. He’s coming over now, he’s right behind me.”_

_Sakura’s eyes went wide, he was right oh kami, Naruto was right. She ran from her kitchen, into her bathroom and slammed the door, just as Kakashi walked through the open door of Sakura’s apartment looking around._

_“What’s up?” Kakashi’s keen eyes took in the scattered groceries, the open door and the sound of water from the shower running in Sakura’s bathroom. “Where’s Sasuke?_

_“Uh he left, Sakura is in the shower, she should be out soon.” Naruto looked at the groceries on the counter. “She’s gonna be pissed I messed her groceries up.”_

_Kakashi shrugged, pulled his book from his pocket and laid down on the couch...watching Naruto out of the corner of his narrowed eye as he moved around Sakura’s kitchen putting groceries in the fridge and in the cupboards._

Madara opened his eyes...so that was the way of it, was it. He understood now. He would not be sharing her with Hashirama, or let Hashirama share her with anyone else. He was disgusted with himself for even considering it a possibility before.

Slowly Madara brought his hand up over his heart where his insides felt the most tender. Is that where the thing had attached itself to him? He felt lighter, more free and less inhibited. How long had that thing been leeching off of him, how long had he been...infected by it’s hatred he wondered.

He owed Sakura his life. He owed her a debt that could never be repaid, something more than a life...he needed to see her. Madara looked out his window. Dawn was coming...how long had he slept…

Tobirama lifted his head from his arms as Madara entered Sakura’s guest room with a soft knock on the door.

“How is she?” He asked the Senju who nodded cordially to him.

“Still asleep, but she sleeps restlessly.” Tobirama’s eyes passed over Sakura's tiny form in the large bed. “Your brother stayed with me most of the night, he left just a moment ago to check on the progress of the government buildings against the cliff side.”

Madara sat down on the bed next to Sakura and took one of her small hands between his two larger ones. “How is your brother this morning?” He asked Tobirama.

Tobirama glanced at their joined hands, then away...there was something different about the Uchiha, he seemed less hostile than usual, less ruthless.

“Concerned, like the rest of us. Loud.” Tobirama rubbed his left eye with a fist. “I need to go, the crew hired to work on the outline of the market will be arriving sometime this morning and I haven’t finished marking it off yet.”

“Thank you.” Madara inclined his head to the man he understood. They had all dropped what they had been doing to be beside her. 

Tobirama looked at Sakura, then back at Madara. “You know what she is don’t you.” It wasn’t a question.

“I do.” Madara met the other man’s eyes in perfect understanding. “Your brother doesn’t, let her be the one to tell him.”

“Of course.” Tobirama moved to the bedside, leaned over and kissed Sakura on the forehead. “I’ll stop by later to check on her.”

“I’ll send word if she wakes before you do.” Madara said kindly.

“You’re different.” Tobirama said bluntly. “Izuna told me what happened, as much as he knew. I can tell, you’re different than before.”

“I feel different.” Madara admitted, a small smile in the corner of his mouth.

“Good.” Was all Tobirama said before leaving Madara and Sakura alone.

“It is good.” Madara stroked Sakura’s hand while she continued to sleep, thinking about everything he had seen and heard in his dreams.

**Sakura sat by the river, her knees drawn up, her arms wrapped around them holding them to her chest as she watched the current race against the wind. It was a beautiful day, and she was glad to be alive.**

**Cool air slipped past her lips as she drew in one deep breath, then another before letting it out through her nose. It was so relaxing being here. She could see why Madara and Hashirama used to come here when they were children to think, to grieve… to forget the reality of their world if only for a few hours.**

**“Hey.” A young Madara called to her as he stepped out of the forest. “I didn’t know you were going to be here today. I would have brought something for us to eat.” He sat down beside her and took her hand in his.**

**“What are you doing?” Sakura looked at him with wide green eyes, but didn’t pull her hand away.**

**“Holding your hand duh.” He laughed at her. “Why so shy all of a sudden, Love?” He was teasing her she realized and acting like they, like they did this all the time.**

**“Madara...who do you, who do you think I am?” She asked him seriously, for he must have mistaken her for someone else.**

**“Huh? You’re acting strange today, what do you mean who do I think you are, you’re Sakura, my friend. Aren’t you?” He gave her an odd look, something between happiness and fear. Was he nervous?**

**Sakura nodded. “Yea, I guess we are now huh, friends.” She smiled. “Yeah, we’re friends Madara.”**

**He was acting so differently, was it because Zetsu was gone, both of them? She had felt a weight lift from her chest when the other Zetsu had died, did he feel it too? She smiled. She felt giddy and free and...she laughed.**

**“Good, so stop acting so weird alright?” He nudged her with his shoulder and looked out over the water. “Hey, I wanted to thank you.”**

**“Thank me?” She didn’t understand what he was thanking her for.**

**“For getting rid of that thing, whatever Zetsu was. I feel...like me again.” He laughed sadly. “You know, I never knew what he was, still don’t really. But I met him I think. Here one day, a long time ago, when I was fourteen, you know the age I am now in this dream.”**

**Sakura’s eyes went wide. They were dreaming together?**

**“I was sitting here, like we are now waiting for Hashirama, but he never came. I was so angry. I had just lost my third brother to the Senju. Hashirama’s clan you know.” His fingers twined with hers and he pulled her onto his lap, holding her to him with his other arm and nudged her hair from her face with his nose...like it was something he had done a thousand times…**

**“I waited for hours but when it was clear he wasn’t able to make it, I stood up to leave only, when I turned around, there was a kid, over there.” Madara let go of her hand and twisted in his seat to point behind them.**

**“At first I thought it was Hashirama sneaking up on me so I yelled at him to knock it off and that I had been waiting for his sorry ass for hours, but he didn’t move. He just started laughing and I realized it wasn’t Hashirama.” Madara gathered her back up into his arms and kissed her cheek.**

**“I think it was Zetsu.” He said holding her tightly when she shivered. “You know, cause from that day on...all I could feel was, anger and I had no idea why I was angry.”**

**“Did he talk to you?” Sakura asked, brushing his spiky bangs to the side so she could see both of his eyes. He looked down at her, directly at her and she gasped...he was, had Madara always been this good looking?**

**“Naw, never, not once but...I could feel him in me, at least now I know it was him that I was feeling. I had no idea back then, but after feeling you rip him out of my heart...I know it was him and yeah, I could feel him in my heart back then but I thought it was me. I thought the thoughts were mine and that the hate...was my own. It was heavy. Right here.” He placed his palm over his heart.**

**“Madara.” Sakura placed both of her hands on his face, one on each side and looked into his dark allenite eyes.**

**“Hey it’s okay. You saved me and that’s all that matters right?” Young Madara ducked his head down and kissed her on the mouth, like it was a normal thing for him to do. “I have you now, that’s all that matters.”**

**“This is really inappropriate Madara, you’re so young here and I’m, well I’m…” She trailed off not sure how to say it.**

**Madara laughed out loud, his whole body shaking, shaking her in the process. “Kami Sakura you’re such a strange one you know that? We’re the same age here, Love!” He laughed at her again.**

**“What?” She scrambled off of his lap and crawled to the edge of the river and looked at her reflection. “Whoa.” She touched her face.**

**“I’m fourteen again.” She was horrified. She groaned. “I don’t want to be fourteen again!”**

**Madara rolled around on the bank, laughing and clutching at his sides. “Yeah, but not really, man your face!”**

**Sakura glared at him. “Are you done?” He was acting like Izuna...**

**“Almost.” Madara paused so he could point at her one more time and started laughing again.**

**It was so strange to her, to see him so...happy and so...normal. She smiled.**

**“Madara?” Sakura sat down beside him once he had laughed himself out, his legs and arms spread wide and relaxed, staring up at the clouds as they floated through the sky.**

**“Yea?” He looked over at her with a small smile on his lips.**

**“You know how I told you, you’re the reincarnation of Indra Otsutsuki and that Sasuke is your reincarnation?” She asked him, making him sit up so he could pay closer attention to her words.**

**“Yea. I still don’t get that but after the day we’ve had, I don’t doubt you.” He shrugged. “So what of it?”**

**“You are a mouthy kid, you know that?” She smiled at him.**

**“Your point, Love?” He stuck his pinky finger in his ear and twisted it around while he looked at her. His face, innocent and questioning as he blinked at her.**

**She slapped his hand away from his ear ignoring his protest. “My point is, since we killed both Zetsu, Sasuke won’t defect from the village, he won’t...do all of those horrible things to all of those people.”**

**He wasn’t sure if she was asking him or not but…**

**“You mean to you. He won’t try to...hurt you in the future?” He clarified for her. They both knew what he meant.**

**“Yeah and other things but yeah I guess so.” She mumbled, looking down at the gravel, picking up a flat stone and eyeing the other bank across the river.**

**“You’re here Sakura.” He watched her shoulders hunch and her fingers tighten around the rock in her hand. “Unless you believe that monster, when he said you could go back?”**

**She didn’t reply, she just continued to look across the river, her bottom lip trembled.**

**Madara sighed and scooted behind her wrapping his arms around her again. “Look, it’s hard, I can’t even imagine what you’re going through but…” He ran his fingers through her hair, gathered it in one hand and set it over her shoulder, kissing the back of her neck gently.**

**“...I think he was lying, Sakura. I think he was trying to manipulate you so he could escape.” Madara kissed her ear and hummed into the side of her neck.**

**“Hashirama is getting married you know, to Mito Uzumaki, but I guess you would already know that huh, unless that changed?” He asked her.**

**She shook her head. She knew.**

**“I know that you still love that guy, that Hatake guy but uh, you know if you can’t go back, there are people here who care for you.” He rested his chin on top of her shoulder and looked out over the river with her.**

**“Izuna, that Tobirama guy and uh, me.” He added, his cheeks flushing but she couldn’t see…**

**“I didn't know you...I knew about your brother, he told me and Tobirama is, well I like him but…” She stuttered. “I don’t want to pursue a relationship with anyone right now Madara. She leaned back into him. “...but if I did, it would be Tobirama.” She whispered honestly.**

**“Right.” he sighed. “I get it. He’s an okay guy. I see why you like him but.” He lifted her up and spun her around to face him. “If it doesn’t work out or you change your mind…”**

**“Here, in our minds...you belong to me.” Young Madara pressed his mouth to young Sakura’s and kissed her without remorse, without a care for his brother, his best friend or for Tobirama Senju, because here, in his mind, she would always belong to him.**

**“Okay.” She said breathlessly.**

**Madara smirked and pulled her closer to him but her hand came up to stop him from kissing her again. “What?”**

**“Uh next time we’re here, can we be older, cause this is weird.” Sakura said seriously.**

**Madara erupted into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. “Yeah, whatever you want, maybe you could wear those clothes I saw you in by the river that day.” He murmured leaning in for another kiss.**

**“What?” She put her hand over his mouth to keep his lips to himself. “What are you talking about?”**

**“Oh right!” He laughed again, his cheeks pink. “Uh, the first time I saw you, you were sitting on that rock, Love.” He pointed to the large rock that jutted out over the river.**

**“You had these ripped and worn blue clothes on, and uh, it was really hot.” He blushed again. “I thought you were a uh, haha a Tennyo, you know?”**

**“You thought I was a...Madara Uchiha, you pervert! You were watching me!” She squealed, trying to get away from him.**

**“Hey no! Wait, I didn’t know you were there I was just going for a walk, and saw you, you were hot, you can’t blame a guy for gawking when you were barely dressed!” He protested pulling her back into his lap and covering her mouth with his, as her hands came up to tug on his spiky hair, her rock falling to the river bank, forgotten.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...again I know some of you will have questions, don't worry...I will cover everything as the story progresses, but please don't feel that you still can't ask them :)


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one day left to write...then I start updating at the same rate as everyone else!
> 
> Sorry, but real life comes first...unfortunately:P
> 
> Don't worry, I'm not abandoning any of my fics.

Sakura opened her eyes and smiled at the man beside her, then frowned...was that a dream or was it real? “Madara.” Her voice was raspy and she felt like shit.

Madara’s eyes opened, his head resting against the wall. He had fallen asleep holding her hand. “Sakura, how do you feel, Love?” He smiled softly at her. A playful glint in his eyes.

She blushed, pulling her hand from his, he called her Love. “Better, sore, but better knowing that thing is gone for good.”

“Thanks to you.” Madara reached out and pushed the hair back from her face, sat up and stretched both arms over his head, he turned back to her and smiled. “I should go, I just wanted to check on you, see if you had woken up and now that I see you have I should go help Hashirama. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

Sakura nodded. “Okay, but how do you feel? You asked how I felt but you haven’t told me how you are.” She watched him sit back down , he was...still smiling at her like...he had in her dream.

“Don’t you already know?” He winked at her, patted her cheek and walked toward the door of her room. “I told the maids to bring you food when you woke. I’ll let them know you’re awake. Call out if you need anything. I told them to give you anything you desire.” He waved and left her sitting in the bed staring after him.

Sakura pinched her arm to make sure she was indeed awake and not still dreaming. Madara was so...different. Her hand inched up along the front of her shirt, she could feel where Zetsu had been pressed against her when she had flung herself at him to prevent his escape. 

The side of her body that had the most contact with him was pained and her head felt too big for her shoulders, but her heart...felt free and light, like Madara, from her dreams. It made her smile to think of him as a teen, to think of him with such a light heart laughing so freely, free of the strain and the consuming guilt of losing three younger brothers to war with the Senju.

In her time Izuna had died, and even then, under the influence of Black Zetsu, he had made peace with Hashirama and they had made Konoha together. She wondered how history would have changed, if Black Zetsu had never attached himself to Madara when he was a young man, what her world would have been like.

...or if Zetsu had never attached itself to Indra Otsutsuki, would the Senju and the Uchiha have ever gone to war at all, or would they have been the friends that Madara and Hashirama were now…that was another conversation they would need to have.

There were too many ‘what if’, too many ‘I wish’ in her head. What mattered was now...Black Zetsu was gone, her and Madara were free and the village was being built. Sasuke would be saved, all the Uchiha would be...Itachi... She had warned Madara of Danzo, had told him of Orochimaru and the Akatsuki...what more could she do to safeguard her future and the ones she loved…

Her future...had just been rewritten she realized...without her.

A soft knock at the door drew Sakura from her thoughts.

“Yes?” Sakura called out not sure of the protocol when receiving maids into your guest room of a prominent clan, she bit her lip...was this her life now?

“Lord Madara wished me to bring you breakfast Mistress, may I come in?” The maid's voice came through the silk screen of the sliding door.

“Please.” Sakura pulled the covers up over her chest and looked around the room. 

She hadn’t had the opportunity to observe her surroundings, too disturbed by her dream and waking to see Madara sitting beside her on the bed...but she had time now and her eyes went wide. The opulence...was almost overwhelming.

Sakura watched the maid slide the door open and move a breakfast tray into the room on her knees. Once the tray was inside the room she moved into the room, still on her knees, and slid the door closed, picking the tray up and rising to her feet, moving to the small table near the window to set the tray down.

“Lord Madara hopes you enjoy your breakfast Mistress, is there anything I may get for you?” The young woman bowed low to Sakura, eyes cast to the floor.

“No, thank you very much um…” Sakura hesitated, did she refer to her as ‘maid’?

“Heiko, Mistress, my name is Heiko.” Heiko bowed low and moved to kneel beside the door, bowing yet again opening and closing the door behind her.

Sakura looked around the room Madara had put her in. She assumed she was still at the Uchiha compound, Madara’s compound. Madara Uchiha, was the current clan head of the Uchiha Clan...the realization of her situation hit her like a flurry of shuriken.

She had only briefly touched on the emotional mess with Tobirama but now...

It had only been a few days since her memory seal had been broken and so much had happened that she hadn’t had time to fully...realize her situation, to accept it as she now knew it. With the death of the final Zetsu...her position in this world, her role and her new...friends, just came crashing down on her like a javelin.

She couldn’t go back…

She was building Konoha from the ground up with the founders…

Founders that considered her a friend, who…

Up until this moment she had felt like she was being carried along a fluctuating river with its twists and turns. Sometimes the water was rough and sometimes it was lazy, moving too slow only to swoop over rocks and other obstacles in its path to dip down low and rise up again with greater speed than before.

...she was a leaf, on the surface of the water, the current of time pulling her along at an alarming rate of propulsion, only to slow and mellow, to swoop and dip, throwing her heart into deeper and unfathomable chaos.

Sakura knew that this world was different from the one she had come from, but seeing the maid and the richly decorated guest room of the Uchiha compound made her realize just how different this world was from the one she was used to. 

Living in the forest alone had it’s benefits and she wondered, wildly for a moment, would they, would the men in her life be upset if she wanted to leave...and live alone again or…

Knock knock.

Sakura could feel Izuna’s chakra signature. Without waiting for her to reply he slid the door open and stepped inside. His bright smile at seeing her awake warmed her heart. No...she couldn’t leave them, she had to stay…there was no escaping her present reality.

“I’m so glad to see you awake. I was...really worried about you Sakura.” Izuna sat on the end of the bed, a polite distance away and nodded to the breakfast tray. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your breakfast. I can come back later if you like.”

“No, no that’s okay Izuna. I’m sorry I am still a little tired and sore. It’s nice to see you.” Sakura picked her tea up and sipped. The warmth was soothing to her throat and her shoulders slumped a bit as she drank, relief and warmth surrounding her like a fog.

“Sleep if you need to after you eat. We have everything under control. Hashirama wanted to build a bridge into the village, moving the gate so that it faced the river but Tobirama stopped him from making any last minute changes.” Izuna chuckled.

“Hey uh, thanks for saving Madara, Sakura...I...don’t know what I would have done if he had...died or…” Izuna’s voice trailed off.

“I just spoke to him and he explained to me what that thing was, as much as he could.” Izuna shuddered. “You know, it’s one thing to fight the Senju or another human enemy but that thing, something that can attach itself to your heart, to your soul…” He shuddered again.

“That’s really terrifying.” He moved a bit closer to her and picked up her hand that wasn’t holding her tea cup and bowed his head. “Thank you Sakura, for giving me my brother back, he’s...so much happier now, like he was before...before we lost our other brothers.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him smile so much it’s like he’s a different man.” Izuna said quietly, raising his head to look at her again. “Thanks to you.” He smiled a smile that extended past his mouth, past his eyes…

“I’m glad. Madara does seem more...open, now doesn’t he.” She squeezed his hand, then let it go thinking of the dream she had of him, and picked up her chopsticks.

Izuna nodded. “I need to go, Tobirama put me in charge of overseeing the masons for the village wall. Hashirama has already made the gate and Madara is assigning houses to the civilians that wish to join the village after their work has been completed. Two more missives from clans have come in since you’ve been sleeping. Word of what we’re doing here is spreading.” Izuna smiled again, getting up from her bed and walking to the door.

“Get some rest Sakura. We will build you a great village while you sleep.” He left her to finish her breakfast.

Sakura took her time eating the delicious food the maid had brought for her. She thought of Shinrai and how the hawk had told her the Uchiha had two cooks, that if she, Sakura, had a cook she would eat better. That damn bird. Sakura giggled to herself as she set the tray on the table by the window again. Shinrai was right but...Sakura looked around the room, she would never keep a maid or a cook...that wasn’t her.

Her foot tapped gently against the wood of the floor while she thought. She was still tired and her body was still sore but she didn’t want to sleep anymore, she wanted to move. With decision, she peeled her clothes from her body and walked to the bowl and basin on the dresser, poured water into the bowl from the pitcher and washed her face and arms, then with a quick look around, she washed the rest of her body, dressed and jumped out the window.

He could feel her sneaking along the perimeter of the treeline, slowly making her way back to her house and smiled. She was up and moving, she was okay. He would visit her later, for lunch. Tobirama turned back to the pinned down papers in front of him and marked off two more buildings that had just been completed. They were making good progress thanks to his brother’s new focus.

Hashirama closed his eyes, made the hand signs and pressed his chakra into the ground at his feet. Wood planks and walls, floors and frames shot up out of the earth. He opened his eyes and the frame of the new hospital had been formed. It wasn’t large, but neither was their village. Tobirama had mapped out two more sections leaving them clear for later expansion. His brother had foresight, they couldn’t have planned the layout of the village without him.

Hashirama stood back and looked at his handiwork. It looked good. Sakura would be happy and he hoped she would be impressed.

With another surge of chakra, he pressed his hands to the ground, forming stairs, more flooring and a second story, complete with an office for her...he couldn’t wait to show her. With a quick look over his shoulder at his brother across the open clearing he made two flower baskets for her office window. He promised Tobi he wouldn’t over do it, and he didn’t...just two flower baskets wouldn’t hurt. 

He smiled, but his smile faded as he thought of the woman, and of the other woman that was soon to be in his life. Mito Uzumaki. Was she really as beautiful as people said...would she be more beautiful than Sakura? Rumor said that Mito was a strong and opinionated woman...he sighed, he hoped...he would have to wait to find out.

A team of masons walked past him, bowing low, as they entered the hospital to lay the brick work for the fireplaces. It was coming together, a little at a time. Hashirama pulled one of Sakura’s chakra pills from his pocket, the ones his brother had given him from her and popped it into his mouth and chewed. He still had three more houses to make and then he wished to start work on the Senju houses, his main house, but he was running low on chakra.

He swallowed and walked to the other end of the clearing that would be the market. They had decided the Uchiha main house would be on one side of the village and the Senju on the other and that their clan houses could be built in between, consisting of both members of each clan living side by side.

Stopping short of the marker for the Senju main house, he stumbled and nearly fell on his face as the surge of chakra spiraled through his body. 

“Kami.” He clutched his chest, these pills were amazing. They were incredibly powerful, how the hell did the woman make such intense pills with such success...a smile broke out over his face. With soldier pills of this caliber, the village would be done in no time!

Hashirama turned to the north and focused his new surge of chakra, made the hand signs and pressed it into the ground. Two more houses popped up seemingly out of nowhere making him hum in satisfaction. The woman was a damn genius. Izuna had been right...what the hell would they have done without her…

Yes, Hashirama thought to himself as he moved to the marker where the Senju main house would be, he had signed the peace treaty with the Uchiha to distract his brother from the woman but now...he turned and looked back over his shoulder at the houses that lined the formerly dense forest and the tall government buildings that stood along the cliff side...now he was very glad he had signed that missive and wished that, he would have had the heart to sign it sooner.

Toka would be proud of him if she could see him now. She had always thought that the fighting had been pointless.

He took a deep breath and focused his chakra one more time. He would make the main house, then visit Sakura. She was home now, he had felt her moving slowly toward her house an hour ago. He would see for himself that she was well, then he would find his brother and see what else needed to be done. 

Sakura...he could see it in his brother’s eyes...Tobirama really cared for her but...Hashirama grit his teeth and pressed his chakra into the ground...he wasn’t quite ready to let her go, he wasn’t sure if he could let her go...he hadn’t even gotten to have her yet. Maybe it was a lost cause, he sighed stepping back to scrutinize his creation. The woman had shown a bit of interest in him, in the beginning but then after she had returned from Tanzaku with his brother...that had changed.

Perhaps Madara was right...he would be married soon. He needed to concentrate on that.

“Thank you for your work. This will be a village the likes of which has never been seen before.” Madara inclined his head gracefully to the crew before him, whose mouths hung open in shock at the Uchiha.

“Th thank you Lord Uchiha for your generosity.” Each man dropped low to the ground and bowed, their heads touching the earth before them.

“You may move into your new homes as soon as the work day is over and write to your families so that they may join you. Those of your that do not have homes yet will share the homes of those that do, temporarily until more homes can be built.” Madara nodded to the men before leaving them to their work. He was late in meeting his clan, their houses would need to be assigned as well.

“Lord Uchiha is not as frightening as I thought he would be, as I had heard he was.” One of the civilian workers said to his friend.

“You can feel the power radiating off of the man but...it is not threatening. I’m relieved. I almost didn’t come, worried for my safety, the Uchiha are known for their ruthlessness, even among shinobi.” His friend replied.

They both nodded as they began their work again. 

“This was a good decision. With formidable men like the Uchiha here, we will be safe. Safe like we have never been before or would be outside of a village such as the one we are helping them build.” The first man continued to voice his opinion for the others to hear.

“It also puts us in equal danger though, living so close to shinobi. What if the village is attacked?” A younger man asked of the other men present.

“Attacked? With the Senju and the Uchiha here?” The second man laughed. “I’ll take those odds, kid.”

Everyone laughed as they worked...the mood light. The village they were building, would be new, for everyone who lived there.

Sakura surveyed the new buildings that had popped up while she had been sleeping. So quickly...Hashirama had been working hard she could tell. There were two new buildings near her house. She recognized the Hokage Tower and smiled as tears filled her eyes. She hadn't realized how good it would make her feel to see it again...even if it had just been built, it felt...like home.

The tower in her time that she had left behind wasn’t the original tower after Pein’s attack on Konoha but seeing it, the original now gave her hope. Hope that, that attack would never come to fruition because she...was here and she could make plans to ensure steps would be taken to prevent it.

“How do I even begin?” She hung her head low and laughed at herself. She had already begun, by telling Madara. Madara…

Sakura looked to the other side of her home and smiled again. A building that could only be the hospital, much smaller, in height and width but there, the wooden doors hung open as workers moved in and out of the front doors.

“Do you like it, Sakura?” A smooth voice had her turning, her smile still on her face, only to widen and brighten further as she saw Hashirama walking toward her.

“You’ve been working hard Hashirama. It’s wonderful.” She looked back at the hospital.

“It’s yours. Tobirama told me you accepted your position as our head medic. I’m glad you’ll be staying.” He was careful not to touch her, not wanting to push his boundaries with her again so soon, “I admit I was worried you might leave, once you saw how much had changed. Are you feeling better, you look much better than you did yesterday if you don’t mind my saying.”

“I feel much better. I’m still tired but, that’s to be expected.” She rubbed her side that still pained her from where she had made contact with Zetsu. “Madara seems much better, I talked to him briefly before leaving his compound.”

Hashirama nodded. “He is more...himself. It’s almost like…” He laughed loudly and rubbed the back of his head in a more familiar fashion, “it’s almost like we’re kids again.”

She smiled. “Yeah, like you're fourteen again, skipping stones by the river.” She said without thinking.

“What?” Hashirama gawked at her. “Madara told you about that?”

Shit, Sakura scolded herself, sometimes she was so stupid.


	36. Chapter 36

Hashirama took the next hour showing Sakura the new hospital, asking her about the layout of the structure, adding rooms and storage closets where she requested them and making sure there was a front desk to welcome patients. She asked him to make her three more rooms, ‘examination rooms’, she called them much to his amusement, and to line the wall in her office with squared cubicles, she referred to as ‘cubbies’.

They had walked back downstairs when she turned to him again. 

“Would you mind making some benches along the wall Hashirama? That way visitors have a place to sit if it is needed in the winter particularly, people won’t wish to wait outside in the snow.” She smiled at him.

“It would be my pleasure Sakura.” Hashirama turned and looked along the wall making wood rise from the ground and form into simple stools, benches and chairs. Two tables popped up in the corner with matching chairs, making her roll her eyes.

“Thank you Hashi.” She said sincerely, more at ease around him than she had been in days. She thought that perhaps having white Zetsu in her, even though she hadn’t thought it was for very long, had made her cynical.

“Let me know if you need anything else. I should...get back before Tobirama comes looking for me. He’s been a nightmare since you’ve been asleep, Sakura.” Hashirama looked over his shoulder as if expecting his brother to be there scolding him for ‘wasting time’. 

“He was...very worried about you. We all were but Tobi...seemed to be more worried than the rest of us.” He chose his words carefully but was sure she had understood him. He wanted to know how she...felt about his brother.

“He is a good friend. I’m sorry to have worried everyone, but I’m fine. No need to worry anymore.” She hadn’t meant to make them worry about her.

“It’s what friends do.” He ducked down to make sure she understood. “I’m glad to see up and moving around again, I admit, I hadn’t expected that thing to be so powerful...to be able to attach itself to Madara alone...you’re really something Sakura.”

When she remained silent, he continued. 

“I took one of your chakra pills. Tobirama didn’t exaggerate, they are the best in the world. I’ve never felt such a sudden surge of chakra after taking a solider pill before, it was a little scary.” He smiled at her, she blinked.

“Well, I should go. Madara is coming over for dinner tonight. I think Izuna said he would be joining us as well. Would you like to come? Now that you’re feeling better?” Hashirama asked her carefully. “Tobi would be pleased to see you.” He added.

“I would like that.” She hesitated. “What time should I come and where?” She asked, unsure if he wished to have dinner at the camp or at his compound.

“Six or so in the evening, it will be very informal, just dinner with friends. I could come escort you to the compound if you like?” He offered, but she was already shaking her head.

“I know where it is Hashirama, but thank you. I will see you at six tonight. I look forward to it.” Sakura liked that he wasn’t being as pushy as he had been before she had pulled Zetsu from Madara. He seemed to understand how uncomfortable it had made her feel. She preferred this Hashirama to the pushy one.

“Great!” Hashirama clapped his hands together with false cheer. 

“I will tell the others. Like I said I should go. There are still a few things I need to add to the main house before Tobi and I can move in. In a few days we’ll all be in the same village.” He grinned at the thought of being so close to her night and day, day in and day out.

“That’s wonderful Hashirama. You’ve done so much in such a little amount of time, your wood jutsu is incredible.” She meant it.

He blushed. “I still have much to do but yes, thank you, it helps.” He laughed, leaving her to her thoughts.

Sakura turned back to her house, a small quirk to her lips as she felt Tobirama making his way from the other side of the marked out village toward her. One at a time her men were checking up on her. She laughed lightly to herself, if only Ino could see her now.

Sakura slid the front door to her home open, she felt Tobirama’s chakra signature stop, someone must have side tracked him, or perhaps he forgot something or remembered he had to do something else. She didn’t mind. She needed a few moments to herself to think over the wild thoughts pinging around in her brain.

She giggled to herself, picturing each thought, some larger and some smaller than others ricocheting off the side of her skull. 

One was her dream about Madara, she was sure now, that it had been just a dream, was nothing more than a self indulgent dream. Another was Tobirama, who despite what she had told the Madara in her dream, was just a friend, a close friend… but still a friend. 

Last, and the most perplexing thought, was what the hell did she do now? 

She had done everything she could. Ticking off each problem of her time one by one in her head, as she pulled the orange tops off the marigolds in her garden to make salves out of, she was sure she had warned Madara of everything and everyone she could think of. 

Her conscience was clear then right? She had done everything she could, so now she could just...live in peace, but for how long?

Live in peace...in a time that was not her own. “...but it could be.” She looked around her garden, at the hospital beside her home, at the Hokage Tower that had yet to be named the Hokage Tower...she could live here, and be happy.

She missed her friends but...she had made new ones. Hashirama, as would be expected of his reincarnation’s predecessor, reminded her a bit of Naruto. Madara...however, did not remind her of Sasuke, but...Madara no longer had Black Zetsu in him...had Sasuke had Black Zetsu in him?

Obito Uchiha had been Zetsu’s host, but only white Zetsu. Madara had been the host of Black Zetsu in her time. Was that why Obito and Madara had worked so well together, shared feelings and thoughts as one, because each had one half of Zetsu in them, feeding their hate, their despair, increasing their desperation...probably.

...but both White and Black Zetsu were gone now. The Curse of the Hatred was no more.

Until now, Sakura hadn’t fully appreciated how long and how deep Zetsu’s influence on their world had been. She hadn’t realized, he had always been a part of her world, lurking behind the shadows, promoting hatred and unrest. She had been so oblivious as a child, as a teen...and she hadn’t been the only one.

She laughed. Hindsight really was 20/20, she mused, and yes, maybe it really did take someone from the future to fix the past. She only hoped she hadn’t made things worse, but honestly, she couldn’t see how that could be even remotely possible.

What was next, what was to come...Konoha would be made, clans would join, they would thrive...and then...the first shinobi war, the war that would kill the Lord Second ”Tobirama.”

Should she do something...how could she not but...what could she do?

Sakura sat on the ground in her garden, the soft marigold heads slipping through her fingers as she recalled the two chapters of her academy book that told them about the first Shinobi war. 

The war started after the shinobi villages were founded, like the founding of Konoha after the Warring States Period, after the treaty of the Senju and the Uchiha of her time. The conflict had been instigated by Madara when he attacked Mū, the Second Tsuchikage and destroyed the new peace between Iwa and Konoha that Hashirama had worked hard to garner, but because Sakura had destroyed Zetsu...that wasn’t going to happen anymore, at least she hoped not.

This new Madara, seemed much more reasonable and much less ruthless, only time would tell. Sakura bit her bottom lip...

Tobirama...had died during the First shinobi war, to protect his team but if the first shinobi war never happened...then Tobirama wouldn’t die.

If the First shinobi war could be prevented, then maybe the second and the third could be as well. The nations had unified under the fourth shinobi war banner to fight Madara, but again, because Zetsu had been destroyed the likelihood of that history repeating itself was null...at least she hoped it was.

If the Senju and the Uchiha could make peace in this time before they did in her time, why couldn’t the great nations make peace in this time before the fourth shinobi war of her time…

Of course, the hidden villages would need to be formed first. There was time

Sakura thought of the second shinobi war, which had erupted due to the disparity left over from the first shinobi war, forcing countries to expand their territories to promote better trade and commerce, by force. 

She wasn’t a diplomat or a politician. She wasn’t even a merchant like her parents and didn’t understand the rules of trade as they did, but she had been the Hokage’s apprentice and she was the best medic in the world right now, there had to be something she could do with her knowledge of the future.

Fear had joined all of the great nations of her time under one united force...could she use fear to do the same now...but what or who could be used as the icon for fear here, in this time...what if...Hashirama didn’t divide the tailed beasts among the five great nations, among the other hidden village leaders...what if...Konoha kept them all and used them to maintain peace and order under the threat of unleashing them against any who threatened to disturb the peace?

Sakura knew that Suna had the one tail Shukaku in their possession when it had been founded...and it hadn’t been founded yet, not now in this time...where was Shukaku now...could Hashirama capture him before Suna was formed or before he was sealed into a host?

She remembered Gaara telling her on one of her many visits to Suna after their war that Shukaku told him he had lived in a temple that had been built by Hagoromo for Shukaku to protect it in the desert, like he had done for each of the tailed beasts after he had separated them, in what was now known as the Land of Wind.

Before the first shinobi war, Shukaku had been captured by the disciples of a different temple, who had heard of a large powerful beast that roamed the desert. Shukaku had been enraged by their treatment of him and swore to kill all of them for their disrespect. He was angered that they wanted to use him as a weapon and refused to cooperate with them.

As a means to control him, the disciples sealed Shukaku into a priest and kept him and the Priest locked away in a dungeon, and kept them under constant guard. Unlike most jinchuriki, the Priest had respected Shukaku and had considered him an equal, something no jinchuriki had done before Naruto or Gaara in her time.

The Two tails, Matatabi had been captured by Hashirama during the first shinobi war. Sakura knew from her history books that he had captured all but Shukaku, Gyuki, the eight tails, Isobu, the three tails, Saiken, the six tails, Son Goku, the four tails, Kokuo, the five tails, Chomei, the seven tail, and the nine tails...Kurama had been sealed into his wife Mito of course.

However, unlike Naruto who respected Kurama and had bonded with him like the Priest had done with Shukaku, Hashirama's usage of the tailed beasts were forceful rather than earning their willful cooperation. 

Sakura gathered the marigold heads in her lap, walked back into her house and unloaded them onto her kitchen table.

What if...Hashirama didn’t use force and earned the tailed beasts respect first. Kurama and Shukaku both had told them that Hagoromo had told them the day would come when they would be brought together again and shown what true power was. Well, Hashirama was the predecessor reincarnate of Naruto...he could do what Naruto did if she explained it to him right?

“I would have to tell him who I am.” She said the words out loud. “Or he’ll never believe me.”

For a reason she couldn’t explain, even to herself, she wasn’t sure that was a very good idea. Hashirama had been nothing but kind to her since they had met and of course she knew him as the Lord First and Tsunade Shisou’s great grandfather but...something about him, ever since that day in the garden had bothered her about his too bright smile and his too loud laughter.

Sakura shook her head, she was being silly again...and yet...she would watch him, she decided, she would observe him more and then decide what her next move should be. Satisfied, Sakura sealed the marigold's heads into her storage scroll. She had just finished when she felt Tobirama’s chakra moving again in her direction. 

“Sakura.” Tobirama called her name from the porch, then entered after she had flared her chakra in greeting.

“How are things going Tobi?” She looked up from the jars she was sorting on the counter in front of her.

“Very well. My brother’s houses are filling almost as quickly as he can make them. We hope to have the entire clan settle by the end of the following week.” He told her, setting a small basket down on her table. “I brought lunch.”

“That’s fantastic Tobi.” Sakura hummed her approval as she counted the jars, sealing half of them back into her scroll and setting the other half in a basket to be washed by her creek.

“My brother and I will be moving into the new main house on the other side of the market with the rest of the clan. The main house was finished a few hours ago and the maids have already begun the moving process.” He told her as he opened the basket he had brought placing fish, dumplings and rice buns on cloth napkins.

“Hashirama really has been working hard hasn’t he. Are the Uchiha ready to move in as well?” She looked over the food he had brought and smiled, she was starving. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until he had started placing the food on the table.

“Unfortunately no. It takes them much longer to build their houses, not having a wood style user among them.” Tobirama smiled as she giggled. “I suggested that Hashirama assist them as soon as all of the Senju houses are completed.”

“That is kind of you Tobi.” Sakura was a little surprised he had been the one to make the suggestion, but she thought that perhaps she shouldn’t have been. Everyone seemed to be getting along much better than anyone had hoped they would.

Tobirama nodded. “There have been some minor conflicts, but both Izuna and myself have been fortunate enough to end the arguments with words alone.” He explained. “It is up to us to set the example for the others.”

“I am really glad you see you and Izuna working so well together Tobi.” She set her hand on his arm, to emphasize her words, wondering if things between the Uchiha and the Senju were going as well as he said. Tobirama wasn’t one to sugar coat things but he had been worried about her, Hashirama had said, would he omit facts to spare her feelings? 

“If the village is to succeed, it must come before the individual.” He said a bit more gruffly than he had intended under her heavy gaze. “Conflict, like the conflict of our shared past, has no future in this village.” He added, more gently.

“You’re right.” Sakura placed the full kettle in the coals of her fire for their tea. “Peace is hard to make, but much more difficult to keep.”

Tobirama looked up from his basket to look at her. Her voice had dropped and her face had turned pensive. “What is bothering you Sakura? Are you not feeling well, if you would like to lie down…”

“No, it’s...I’m fine Tobirama. I just worry for the future, because I know what will happen and…” How could she explain to him what she had been thinking...

Tobirama moved to the other side of the table and took her hands in his. “Sakura, the future as you know it is no more. There is a new future for all of us that we will write together. We will take the needed precautions, with your guidance and build upon that knowledge to create a stable foundation.” He bent his head to kiss her on the side of her mouth. “Peace will endure.”

Sakura looked up into his eyes. “I hope so, but what if…”

Tobirama cut her off…”You can not live in the ‘what if’, you'll go mad. Besides, it is a waste of energy, you can not change or force a ‘what if’, only a ‘what is’.” He said practically making her snort.

“You’re right.” She reached down pulling the kettle from the coals with one hand and reached for the mugs with her other hand, pouring their hot water for their tea. “...but knowing that won’t stop me from worrying.”

She looked up from adding the herbs to their cups when he didn’t answer. He was watching her with his own direct sort of pensive look, as though he were trying to figure something out. “Have you discussed your worries with Madara?” He asked her curiously.

“Not my worries no, what I know needs to change, yes.” She said honestly. 

She wasn’t surprised that Tobirama had known Madara was aware of her true nature, he was one of the most observant men she had ever met...aside from her Kakashi. She knew Madara hadn’t told him. Tobirama had probably come to the conclusion on his own and had asked Madara. Madara, also an observant man, would not have denied it. He had seen how close her and Tobirama had gotten. Assumption would be made.

Sakura knew Izuna was unaware, but she wasn’t quite so sure about Hashirama. If he knew, or suspected, he hadn’t said. Sakura watched Tobirama watch her, no...Hashirama hadn’t said anything to his brother...and Madara...she doubted it. She would ask him tonight though, after dinner.

“What you know needs to change.” Tobirama repeated her words, tasting them, analyzing them for himself. He nodded. “I see.”

Sakura smiled and cocked her head to the side, her eyes searched his, “Do you?”

“You know things that we do not, for obvious reasons. Naturally you wish to prevent the more...damaging events from happening do you not?” He asked her.

“I do. Do you think that is right of me?” She asked him seriously.

He sat down in one of the kitchen chairs and stirred his tea, considering her question.

“Will it save lives?” He asked her.

“It will save a whole clan.” She thought of the Uchiha massacre. “...and perhaps the lives of many innocent orphans.” She added thinking of Sai.

“Is this one of the things you have spoken to Madara about?” Tobirama inquired.

“It is.” She nodded, taking her own seat and a bun in her hand. “It is his clan I wish to save.”

“By making this change, is there a possibility it will do harm?” He asked her without pause, taking one of the buns for himself.

Sakura chewed her bun slowly as she thought about his question. “Harm. There is always the possibility it will do harm, we are shinobi, but that isn’t what you meant, was it Tobirama. You meant, do I know it will do harm to another, to prevent harm from coming to the Uchiha, am I right?” 

“Yes.” He smiled at her, she was clever. It was one of the things he admired about her the most.

“Then no, from my perspective, by preventing the harm to the Uchiha, by stopping the Shimura Clan from joining Konoha, I do not knowingly put another clan or even an individual at risk.” She said carefully.

“However, the Clan head’s son, Danzo will grow up to be one of the most sadistic sons of bitches I have ever met and I plan on killing him as soon as I am able to prevent the spread of his evil on the shinobi world as a whole, whether the Shimura join the village or not.” She said with both emotion and conviction.

Tobirama took in the hard cut of her eyes, the firmness of her chin and the slight tremble of...hatred in her hands. He had never seen her so...volatile before.

“Tell me Sakura. Who is this Danzo and what did he do to you?” He asked quietly.

Sakura’s eyes flashed. “Not to me personally Tobirama Sama, to Konoha.”


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NM

Hashirama watched Sakura and his younger brother laugh together from across the room, his fingers twitching at his side, he’d never known Tobirama to laugh so easily. Madara sighed and snapped his fingers in front of his friend’s face. “Try not to be so obvious Hashirama. It’s disturbing.” He said blandly making Hashirama flush.

“Why does she laugh openly with Tobirama, and still remain so reserved with me?” Hashirama asked his friend, eyes wide and pleading as though Madara was capable of providing him with the answer to solving his woe.

“Tobirama isn’t much of a puzzle. Who he is, his intentions are plain to see, and if you want to know something about him, you ask and he will give you an honest answer. If he doesn’t want you to know, he won’t answer.” Madara said everything Hashirama already knew.

“You however, do not always say what you mean, your intentions are not always clear and you tried to drug her to sleep with her.” Madara said in the same voice he had used when describing Tobirama’s personality to his friend. 

“Sakura isn’t a civilian no matter how pink her hair is or how beautiful her eyes are.” He added sarcastically.

“I know that.” Hashirama retorted annoyed at his friend's lack of concern for his feelings.

“Then why ask such a ridiculous question Hashirama.” It was Madara’s turn to be annoyed. “She may not know you drugged her for certain but like I said, she isn’t stupid for kami’s sake. She is a medical ninja Hashirama and an observant one at that.”

Madara let his words sink into his friend’s thick skull and took another swallow of his drink. “She probably suspects something was amiss in the garden, but can’t prove anything. That’s why she has been watching you since she got here and only drinks from the cup she poured for herself.” He smirked.

“Yes.” Hashirama watched Izuna walk up to Sakura and his brother, joining in their conversation effortlessly. “I had noticed that too.” He sighed.

“I wasn’t really going to do anything to her.” He said defensively, but his ears had turned red making Madara scoff. Madara knew him too well to be fooled so easily and they both knew it.

“Right.” Madara said, giving his friend a hard look.

“Well, I couldn’t anyway, the effects of the pollen didn’t last as long as they normally do. I’ll have to use something stronger next time.” He said thoughtfully, as though to himself, only, he wasn’t by himself. Madara was of course standing beside him and had heard him.

“Hashirama.” Madara began.

“I won’t, I said as much, but I can fantasize can’t I?” Hashirama buried his face in his own cup, refusing to look up into the judgmental eyes of his friend.

“As long as your lust keeps to your mental fantasies, I see no harm.” Madara said thinking of his own dreams he shared with the woman.

He had enjoyed spending time with her by the river. He had been surprised at her openness to kiss him, to let him touch her without reserve until he realized...she thought it was just a dream and that they weren’t really there, but they were if only in their minds, because of their shared connection.

Madara had recognized their mental connection immediately and thought she had as well until they had woken up beside one another and she had blushed, pulling her hand from his, the contact had clearly made her uncomfortable when faced with his touch in reality. She didn’t seem to know that their subconscious were connected and that they had full control over their thoughts and actions in their dreams together.

He had meant to tell her, as soon as he had a chance to but...he knew when he did, she would pull back, she would...stop letting him hold her and kiss her. Part of him felt guilty but part of him reminded himself it wasn’t really real, they weren’t really touching one another, not really, so it was okay...he wasn’t Hashirama...and she liked it when he touched her...she liked it when he kissed her.

...and he liked her uninhibited honesty when they were together there. When she thought it was a dream, when she thought it wasn’t real...she wanted him and he wasn’t ready to let that go yet. 

Madara looked across the room with Hashirama and watched Sakura with his friend. She had told him without hesitation, without embarrassment that she hadn’t known he was interested in her, that she knew Izuna was, and of course that Tobirama was. She had even admitted that if she had to choose then, that she would choose Tobirama, but that she didn’t want to choose...that she didn’t want a relationship.

She hadn't been lying to him. She hadn’t felt the need or had the desire to because to her, it meant nothing, but to him...it meant something and he had told her so. He had told her, when they were there in their minds...she belonged to him.

...and she hadn’t fought him, hadn’t denied him, but kissed him and let him kiss her.

No, he wasn’t ready to let that go yet.

Sakura might choose Tobirama now, if she had to choose, but she didn’t and she wouldn’t. There was no one to force her to marry. No one to speak for her. There were many downsides to not having a clan in these times, but for a woman, for a kunoichi with powerful friends like Sakura had...it was a blessing.

He would let Tobirama have his time with her. The Senju could kiss her all he wanted, monopolize her time and smirk at his younger brother as he wished, but at night...Sakura belonged to him and their bond would only continue to grow, because in their minds, it was only him and only her, there was no one to interfere with his time with her. Madara smirked into his drink as he watched the younger Senju wrap a possessive arm around the woman’s shoulders, saw his brother narrow his eyes at the man, and felt Hashirama stiffen at his side.

Madara couldn’t wait to see her tonight, in his dreams.

“All of the plots for the Uchiha houses have been marked.” Izuna told Tobirama once they were seated at the table in the common room of the Senju’s main house for dinner. “We’ll start building for them tomorrow morning when the rest of the Uchiha arrive.”

“Were they not here this morning?” Hashirama inquired. “I thought I saw several new Uchiha while I built the gate earlier.”

“They came with Kagami to lay the stone foundation for the main house.” Madara passed the steamed vegetable platter to Sakura who sat beside him with a nod. “Once the foundation is dry, we’ll start on the rest of the building and since we are by the south end of the Naka River, I have decided to move our shrine from the Naka river of the old compound to the new plot of land behind the main house.”

“Once all of the houses are finished and the clan has been settled into their new homes we will begin work on the Naka Shrine.” Madara pulled the layout of the land plot he had drawn earlier that day and handed it to Tobirama who took it and put it in the folder with the rest of the blueprints.

Dinner consisted of more talk on the progress of their budding village, changes that needed to be made to the original plans that hadn’t been foreseen, and new ideas that always popped up as things such as this progressed.

“We have been fortunate that there haven’t been any serious injuries while you were sleeping, Sakura.” Hashirama smiled at her, trying to release some of the new tension between them.

“I admit, pulling Zetsu from Madara took much more chakra than I had expected, thank you for, helping me Hashi and for giving me a chakra pill.” Sakura seemed to have forgotten that in her recovery. If Hashirama hadn’t given her a chakra pill in those last moments before she pulled Black Zetsu from Madara’s soul...she would have died.

Perhaps she had been a bit hard on him.

“Of course Sakura.” He was pleased with her kind smile and the softness in her eyes when she looked at him. “I couldn’t have my oldest friend and my newest friend die together could I?”

The impact of his words fell heavy on the table in front of them all. They could have died. Hashirama cleared his throat.

“Among the new families that Madara assigned houses to, are two expectant mothers, who were thrilled to hear our village has such an accomplished healer.” He directed the conversation back to a more pleasant topic after seeing the pain in her eyes.

Sakura smiled. “That’s wonderful. Could you tell me which houses are theirs Hashirama? I will visit them tomorrow and introduce myself.”

Izuna choked on his food but quickly stifled his coughing. Madara smiled and covered his smile with his hand.

“It is not...typical for a herbalist or an apothecary to visit their patients at home, at least not one of high birth. Let the patients come to you Sakura, at the hospital.” Tobirama explained Madara and Izuna’s reactions to her statement.

Sakura still didn’t understand. She looked around the table, each man wore the same look of curiosity and bemusement. Oh, she thought to herself, this was one of those things that she didn’t know because she wasn’t from their time period and used to their social norms.

“High born ladies um, do not visit the...not as high born Sakura. I understand you are a civilian born but that does not mean you are not of a higher...stature than the civilians that have joined us.” Hashirama chose his words carefully. 

“Well that’s ridiculous. Medical assistance should not stand on formalities.” She said a bit forcefully, reminded of how she had been treated at the academy and for several years just because she wasn’t one of the ‘clan kids’, before she had been taken under Tsunade’s wing as her apprentice and earned her place at the top.

“Right or wrong Sakura, you sit at this table do you not?” Tobirama cut into the conversation. “You must adhere to the standards of the time.” He said abruptly.

Sakura bristled at his tone and opened her mouth to argue with him further.

“Sakura.” Madara placed his hand on hers lightly, pulling it away casually, just enough to distract her from whatever sharp tongue reply she had been about to send Tobirama’s way. “This is how things are done here, however they were done...where you were from does not matter, do you see? You sit here at his table with the heads of house, you are one of us and must act accordingly. It is a matter of respect. You are a strong woman but most men...most clan men will not see you as such.” His voice was gentle, not condescending in the least...and she listened.

“Why draw unwanted scrutiny to yourself?” He asked her seriously, did she not know how most men viewed women of this era? 

Well, no of course she didn’t but...she would soon. Their village was growing quickly. The civilian workers respected her because of him, Hashirama, Izuna and Tobirama stood beside her as equals. Most of the shinobi clan that would be joining them soon...would not.

“...but.” She pursed her lips. “Fine, but I will not administer medical care by social status in MY hospital.” She gave each man at the table a bold look. “Got it?”

Tobirama smiled, meeting her direct gaze with a humous nod. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”

“Nor I.” Madara nudged her with his shoulder. “Can we eat now, or did you want to make more drama so that when we do get around to eating we won’t be able to digest our food?”

Izuna snickered and Hashirama stared open mouthed at his friend, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Madara, did you just, did you just make another joke? It is so nice to have you back!” Hashirama’s eyes were glowing with joy, embarrassing both Madara and Tobirama.

Sakura laughed...this was...nice.

Their food was served, a delicious spread of grilled fish, red bean buns to celebrate their first dinner together, two different kinds of vegetable dumplings and the best miso soup Sakura had ever tasted.

“This is almost better than the breakfast I had this morning.” Sakura hummed her delight as she bit into one of the red bean buns making Izuna frown.

“Breakfast isn’t fancy, that’s why Sakura. You’ll need to come to dinner once the new house is set up.” He told her.

“An excellent idea.” Madara agreed. “As soon as our new main house is set up in the village, we will invite you over for dinner. Tobirama and Hashirama as well.” Madara included the other men present for form's sake.

“What a great idea.” Hashirama smiled at the table, his eyes catching Sakura’s with an extra quiver to the corner of her mouth making her laugh, he was relieved.

“I’ll be there.” She smiled at Madara.

Soon, the dishes were removed, the table wiped down and the sake was served. Hashirama sat at the end of the table, a bottle by his left hand and a constantly dwindling cup by his right. Sakura snickered to herself, thinking of Tsunade...the woman had come by her...crutch, honestly it seemed. Clearly, Hashirama was to blame for her shisou’s penchant for sake...in excess.

Madara sipped on his cup for flavor, finding it empty as well as Sakura’s, he filled them both with the bottle at their end of the table, then Izuna’s without asking. Tobirama sat beside his brother, his arms crossed over the top of the table casting side glances at his brother’s rapidly dwindling bottle level and sighed.

Sakura giggled to herself, but not quite as quietly as she had hoped, catching Tobirama’s eye. He took in the slight flush to her cheeks and the glistening of her sparkling eyes, the way she gently chewed her bottom lip and shifted in his seat. How much had she drank he wondered. He had only noticed two cups thus far and thought that was quite enough for her by the flush of her face.

“Sakura.” He spoke her name a bit more harshly than he had intended and cleared his throat, but before he could try again, Madara had refilled her cup, his own and Izuna’s...again.

“Madara.” Tobirama changed direction and addressed the Uchiha. “Don’t you think she’s had enough?” He nodded to Sakura’s, deepening blush on her cheeks with apprehension.

“Nonsense Tobi! Leave the woman alone, she is among friends! If she wishes to imbibe in drink I see no reason for her not to enjoy herself around people she can trust! She can stay here with us tonight if she likes, drink drink!” Hashirama laughed out loud downing another cup of sake himself, as he waved his other hand through the air in uninhibited delight.

“Do not worry Tobirama, Izuna and I will see that Sakura gets home safely.” Madara cast a knowing look at his friend. “Unmolested.”

Tobirama narrowed his eyes at Madara with complete understanding of the man's statement and how it had been directed at his brother. 

“Do you imply that if she were to stay here with us that harm would come to her, that we would stoop so low as to, as to...touch her without her permission?” Tobirama growled at the implied insult.

“Huh?” Sakura looked from Madara to Tobirama.

“Tobi calm down, you have yet to grasp the extent of Madara’s humor. It’s fine.” Hashirama understood Madara just fine and sighed. He was a good friend, looking out for him, trying to make sure he didn’t ruin his pending marriage to Mito. “He didn’t mean anything by it, did you Madara.”

“Your brother understands me. Rest assured Tobirama, we will see Sakura safely home.” Madara rose on steady feet, not the least bit encumbered by the sake he had drank and extended his hand to Sakura who was blinking up at him and his sudden decision to leave.

“It is getting late, perhaps we should go now? You’ll want to get a good night’s sleep won’t you, Love?” Madara smirked down at the woman who blushed further at his attention.

“Yes, thank you, Madara.” She reached up to take hold of his hand, his fingers warmly engulfing hers as he pulled her easily to her feet to stand beside him. 

Tobirama narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha but was distracted from his suspicions when Sakura addressed him.

“Thank you for the wonderful dinner Hashirama, Tobirama. I’m sure I will see you tomorrow. Goodnight.” She bowed correctly, then turned back toward Madara and Izuna, who had also risen to his feet and was bowing his goodbyes.

Tobirama bowed with his brother at the door to their home, watching as Sakura was led away between the two Uchiha. “Do you think, she will be okay with them brother? Sakura had quite a bit to drink this evening for such a small woman.” He commented.

“I trust Madara, Tobi. You need not worry about Sakura’s virtue.” Hashirama could barely hide his disappointment, but Madara had made the right decision by taking the woman home, taking away the temptation. “You’ll need to go, I see the team is already standing by the gate.” Hashirama motioned to the team he had arranged for the night’s scouting party.

“Of course. I still don’t understand why you wished me to join them tonight.” Tobirama asked his brother without asking about his sudden change in their usual night surveillance team by including him to scout the perimeter of their lands that night.

“Just an added precaution Tobi. Soon it won’t be needed. You’re an excellent sensor. With the village not yet done and the walls not yet secure I thought it better to be safe than sorry.” He smiled and waved his brother away...and if it had left him alone in the compound with an intoxicated Sakura in his bed that night...so much the better, but Madara had put an end to that fantasy.

‘As long as your lust keeps to your mental fantasies.’ That’s what Madara had told him before dinner, after he had already set his plan to have Sakura to himself that evening into motion…”Yes well, it was worth a shot.” He muttered to himself as he returned to his room alone for the night.

“Easy.” Izuna chuckled as Sakura stumbled over yet another rock in the forest on their way back to her home. “Maybe you shouldn’t have drank so much Sakura.” He teased her.

“Ugh, so annoying.” She pulled her sleeve from yet another prickly vine that she had run into by accident in her drunken state. “Just a moment.” 

Both Madara and Izuna stopped, and watched her finger tips glow a vivid green in the dark. “What are you doing, Sakura?” Izuna asked her curiously.

“Burning the alcohol from my bloodstream so I can walk properly.” She said, her voice becoming more and more coherent the longer her fingers were pressed against her temples.

“Ah, much better.” Sakura smiled, straightened her back and walked past the two Uchiha brothers toward her home without looking back to see the stunned looks on their faces.

“Did you know she could do that?” Izuna asked Madara as they began to follow behind her at a quickened pace to catch her up.

“No.” Madara was amused. So, he thought to himself, that’s why Hashirama’s poisoned pollen didn’t work as well as it ought to have on her. Her body had a natural defense against contaminants. “It is very beneficial though.” He added and Izuna nodded.

“Shame to kill her buzz though.” Izuna laughed. “She seemed to be enjoying herself.”

“Indeed she was, but perhaps it is not a complete waste. The night is still young and when she retires for bed...perhaps she will still have nice dreams.” Madara smiled in the dark.

“Huh?” Izuna asked just as they caught up to Sakura, but Madara didn’t answer him, his eyes were on Sakura, and how her hair shone silvery pink in the moonlight that broke out across the clearing of their new village.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NM
> 
> **shared dream**

**The fine mist of the waterfall rose up around her moistening her skin with a sheer dew. Sakura closed her eyes breathing in the vapor like she had done so many times before. She was alone, on her favorite rock just below the waterfall, in the most remote border of the Konoha forest of her time.**

**After the war, everyone she knew wanted everything to go back the way it was before the fourth great Shinobi War had ripped everyone from their homes and had torn loved ones from their lives… but that wasn’t how things worked. Life wasn’t that easy or that convenient, particularly for shinobi.**

**It was hard. It was difficult seeing the blank looks on the faces of those who no longer had the will to move forward. It pained her to listen to the cries of the children who had lost their mothers, their fathers and their siblings to the first, second and third attack. She could heal wounds, she could save lives, but she could do nothing for their lost souls.**

**...she wished she could though, because if she could heal their souls...maybe could have healed his, Sasuke’s.**

**Sakura tilted her head back and to the side, let the moisture gather and bead up along the side of her neck. The little rivets of gathered dew tickled as they slid down the side of her temple, her cheek and her chin. She smiled. Yes, she had always liked it here, it was her favorite spot in Konoha to be alone, to hide and to think.**

**Indra Otsutsuki, Madara Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha, the names swirled through her head like the water that churned around her ankles. She lifted one foot out of the water, watched as the water moved as one from the tips of her toes to the back of her heel to drop from her skin in a stream, then larger drops, dwindling to smaller and smaller ones until there was no more water to drop from her skin.**

**“How strange. How similar.” She muttered, thinking that the drops of water were symbolic of her attachment to her other life.**

**“What’s strange?” A deep voice asked her.**

**Sakura jumped to her feet, spun on her wet heel and nearly fell backward into the water. Madara’s hand shot out to grab her by the waist and pulled her to his chest. “You’re awfully clumsy for a kunoichi.” He smirked at her.**

**“Madara.” Sakura smiled. “Why am I dreaming of you again?”**

**“Maybe you like me more than you realize.” He smiled at her, his arm still around her waist.**

**“Right.” She laughed. “Maybe.” She looked into his eyes, his damn Uchiha eyes.**

**“You wouldn’t be the first Uchiha I thought I was in love with.” She muttered.**

**Madara’s eyes flashed. “Oh?”**

**“My old teammate was an Uchiha. Sasuke, you know, the one who sealed me in this time, when we were kids I thought, I was so stupid, I thought I loved him.” She used to be such an idiot.**

**“He was so handsome, with that dark Uchiha hair.” Sakura lifted her hands and ran her fingers through Madara’s hair making him shiver at her touch.**

**“Those damn Uchiha eyes.” Her fingers traced the sides of his face as she looked at him. He smiled.**

**Her eyes dropped to his lips and she blushed. He laughed.**

**“You never told me why he did what he did. Why would your friend and teammate do such a horrible thing to you?” He could guess, but he wanted to hear it from her, here where she was less likely to shy away from telling him the truth.**

**“I chose someone else, our old sensei, Kakashi Hatake. I told you about Itachi Uchiha, remember?” She leaned into him as he pulled her back down onto the rock and wrapped his arms around her.**

**“You did, and about Danzo Shimura, how he orchestrated the Uchiha massacre.” His deep voice hummed with anger as the words flowed over her head to drop heavy on her shoulders.**

**“It left Sasuke alone. I don’t think he really felt part of anything again, until Naruto and I. Until we were put on Team 7 with one another.” She snorted. “He hated us at first but slowly...he began to, I don’t know, get used to us. Even me and my moronic crush.”**

**“...but then we were attacked in the Forest of Death during the Chunin Exams and” She trailed off, that was a long story.**

**“Chunin Exams?” Madara asked her not knowing what they were.**

**She waved her hand. “You’ll find out soon enough. I’m sure Tobirama has it all written down somewhere and is just waiting to tell us once the village progresses more. It’s not important.” She sighed, twisting in his arms and leaned her head against his chest more comfortably than she ever would in her waking hours.**

**“Sasuke changed then, he became more determined and more frustrated. It seemed like the stronger we got, mostly Naruto, the more angry Sasuke became until the need for more power consumed him.” She said quietly, recalling the night Sasuke left Konoha. The night he left her alone and unconscious on the cold stone bench by the front gates.**

**“Is that why he left the village?” Madara tightened his arms around her, recalling the dream he had of her, and a dark haired boy, a boy who could only be an Uchiha.**

**“Yeah.” She didn’t bother asking him how he knew something like that, it was her dream. The Madara in her dream would know what she knew.**

**“It took me years of chasing him to realize...I would never be able to save him, that he would never love me the way I thought I loved him.” Sakura looked up at Madara, he bent his head down to meet her eyes. “I think he was cursed. I think, now he’ll be okay.”**

**“Indra was cursed by Zetsu, I think. The beast found you too, by the river that day. He found Obito through you...but maybe part of his found his way to Sasuke, or maybe it’s just in your blood.”**

**Madara nodded, he understood. “It’s possible. If they are reincarnations, we...and if Zetsu was able to attach to our souls then...perhaps he changed us but...I know I am not the same person I was, before you came.”**

**“No.” She smiled. “You aren’t. I like this you Madara, it’s nice to be here with you but I still miss...Kakashi.”**

**“So you found the love you were looking for in another then, in this Kakashi?” He asked her curiously.**

**Sakura laughed. “I found it without realizing it. He had always been there and I didn’t realize until...it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to talk about Kakashi.”**

**“I understand.” His deep voice soothed her nerves and she closed her eyes, maybe Madara did understand, this Madara. “I understand Sasuke's desire for power as well. It was the same for me.”**

**“Sasuke wanted revenge.” Her tone was bitter. “For something Itachi had been forced to do.”**

**He nodded, she had told him. “It will be different this time.”**

**“I know.” She did, she could feel the differences already. She could see them.**

**“I wanted to protect the ones I loved, mostly Izuna, my clan.” He told her.**

**“I know.” Sakura twined her fingers with his, turned her head to the side to avoid his spiky locks that fell around her face. “I could see it in your eyes when we first met...on the battlefield. I told you before. I felt sorry for you. You were in such pain..you were so lonely.” She whispered.**

**“I’m lonely Madara.” Sakura whispered. “I miss my friends and my family.”**

**“You have us, but I know it isn’t the same. It would be different if you had chosen this path, if it had been your choice to come here.” Madara lifted his arms from around her shoulders.**

**“Come here, turn, put your legs over my lap and around my waist.” He picked her up and turned her so she could sit facing him, her legs out behind him as he sat facing her, moving her to straddle him and sit in his lap. “Let me hold you like this.”**

**“Madara I don’t uh.” She moved to sit on his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms around his neck, their chests pressed together. “This is too intimate it feels like we’re, uh, like we’re…”**

**“Lovers?” He winked at her and she turned red, nodding.**

**“Here, we can be anything you want us to be Sakura.” He lifted her chin and kissed her slowly. “There is no one here but us.” He whispered against her lips.**

**“You said you were lonely.” warm, large hands stroked her back, under her shirt. “So am I.”**

**“Madara.” Sakura gasped and moaned under his touch, her wants and needs from the last year of seclusion rushing to the surface, heating her face, her body, her mouth. “I want to but…”**

**“...but what? I’m not fourteen, in this dream, neither are you.” He joked with her.**

**“Ass.” She slapped him playfully on the chest, leaning back and away from him so she could laugh in his face.**

**“I know you’re still in love with the man you left behind Sakura. I’m not a fool. Tobirama might not understand the expression on your face when he touches you, but I do.” He kissed the corner of her mouth, watched as she closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side inviting him to taste the sensitive skin along her jaw. “You regret, you feel guilty.”**

**“I’m not asking you to forget him, only to let me help you remember that you’re not alone here.” His tongue moved slowly, savoring her willingness to be touched by him, closing his eyes as she moved against him. “No one will know, there’s no one here but us, look around you, Love. This is our world.”**

**His eyes flew open as she rocked her hips against his, her hands moving to the back of his head to grip his wild hair in her fists as she rose up slightly to readjust herself over his…**

**”You’re not a virgin are you, Love?” He grinned at her.**

**“No, I’m not.” Sakura pulled his head back, kissing his neck roughly making him growl and dig his fingers into the soft flesh around her waist moving her body as he rocked up against hers.**

**“Good.” Madara bent his head to bite her neck making her moan and squirm against his arousal.**

“Well damn.” Sakura squinted against the sunlight pouring in through her window. “That is the best damn dream I have had in a very long time.” Sakura sat up in her bed and looked around her room.

“Too bad it wasn’t real.” She laughed as she threw back the covers to her bed to get dressed for the day.

“Fuck.” Madara groaned, rolled over and covered his head with his pillow, ignoring the pulsating, throbbing sex between his legs. “Damn Tennyo.” He groaned, rolled over and got up to dress.

“Madara?” Izuna knocked on his brother’s door. “Sukota and Jumanta have already left for the village with their crews, are you coming?” His brother called through his door.

“Yes Izuna.” Madara opened the door to his room, as he tied his pants around his waist and reached for the shirt he had hung over his chair the night before, shoving his arms into the sleeves and drawing it together in the front with a simple tie.

“Did you...just wake up?” Izuna was smirking at his brother who never slept in.

“Yes.” Madara gave his brother a disgruntled look for his teasing. 

“There’s a first time for everything, unlike you who I could barely get to roll out of your bed when the wars were still waging?” Madara cut their conversation short as he grabbed his weapons scroll and travel pack with the blueprints for their new house and the Naka Shrine.

“Yea yea.” Izuna grinned. “Sakura sent word, she will be foraging for some kind of mushroom in the forest near the shrine plot and wanted to know if we wanted to have lunch with her.”

Madara’s fingers slowed as they tied his bag over his shoulder. “Shinrai?” He asked Izuna who nodded, not noticing his brother’s hesitation.

“Okay, send her word we will provide the lunch, tell the cook to prepare something and have one of the maids bring it around noon to the shrine plot.” He smoothed his hair down and walked past his brother out the door and to the front gates of their soon to be, former compound.

Tobirama watched his brother read the scroll for the second time as the maid brought their breakfast from the kitchen and laid it on the table before them. “What is it, Hashirama?”

“Ashina made a stipulation that an heir be conceived within the first year of my marriage to Mito and another within the second year and given to the Uzumaki of Eddies as their new heir.” Hashirama frowned down at the scroll as if it were contaminated with some foul substance.

“He wants me to give him one of my children?” Hashirama didn’t like this proposal at all.

Tobirama reached out for the scroll to read it for himself. He read it through twice and then a third time more slowly. “He says it is a non negotiable factor. This means...he will not back our village financially unless you comply.” It was a low political move on the Uzumaki’s behalf to make such a stipulation to their proposal after it had already been accepted.

“I want children.” Hashirama rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully. “To give one of them away like...like a horse or a pig though.”

Tobirama sighed. “They ask for your second born at least. The child wouldn’t be raised by strangers, they would be it’s family too, on it’s mother’s side. The Uzumaki are a prominent clan. There is precedent for such clauses. It may be a little outdated but you can understand they want a child of their blood, what better than a child of their current heir?”

He knew it was harsh and that he sounded insensitive, but it was not an uncommon request for smaller clans like the Uzumaki to keep their blood within the family. Mito was Ashina’s only acknowledged daughter, of course the man would want one of her children mixed with the Senju bloodline of the current clan head for his new heir. It just made sound political sense to Tobirama. Mito was leaving the Land of Eddies to settle in their village, they would want a replacement.

“You would be able to visit the child I’m sure.” Tobirama said calmly.

“Tobi. I can’t give away one of my children. Do we really need the financial backing of the Uzumaki that badly?” Hashirama looked at his brother with sad eyes.

“Yes.” Tobirama crossed his arms firmly over his chest. “Just think about it brother. It sounds worse than it is.”

“Does it?” Hashirama’s voice grew cold as he looked at his brother. “How many of your children have you given away, Tobirama?”

“If you and Sakura had children, would you sell them to her family’s clan, if she had one to sell the child to?” Hashirama’s chakra swirled between himself and his brother.

“I would do what needed to be done, to keep the peace, for the village and for our clan.” Tobirama said confidently.

“I doubt Sakura would say the same.” Hashirama said just as confidently. He knew he was right and so did his brother.

“One of the benefits of being the second son then.” Tobirama, who never said a thing against his brother...countered harshly. “I’ll never have to make that choice.”

The two brothers sat for several moments, daring the other to say something further on the subject, until a soft knocking on the sitting room door broke their standoff.

“Lord Senju, Haruno Sakura is here to see you.” The maid spoke through the door.

“Let her in, and bring more food for her place at our table.” Hashirama held his brother’s eyes. 

“Shall we find out what she would do?” Hashirama’s mouth was tight.

“There is no need. I already know the answer.” Tobirama conceded to his brother with a bow of his head. “I should go, there is work to be done.”

“Sakura.” Tobirama greeted the woman as she entered the room and sat down beside him. “I apologize, I must go, I am needed elsewhere.” He bowed stiffly, his voice strained.

“Of course Tobirama. I hope everything is okay?” Sakura looked from Hashirama to Tobirama, she could feel the tension between the two men.

“Of course.” Tobirama bent and kissed her lightly on the cheek before leaving.

Sakura turned to Hashirama once his brother had gone. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She apologized.

“Not at all, not at all Sakura. I’m glad you’re here, of course, you’re welcome any time, anytime at all.” His smile was forced, his eyes didn’t shine like they normally did.

Sakura observed the small flicker of unease as Hashirama looked at the unfurled scroll on the table, then back up at her, smiling that fake smile again.

“What has happened?” She asked bluntly, her own eyes passing over the scroll, then meeting Hashirama’s brown ones. “Is it the scroll? I see the crest of the Uzumaki, did Mito back out of the engagement?”

“What?” Hashirama said in surprise that she would think such a thing. Women didn’t back out of engagements, only the man could cancel the agreement. “No, her father added a stipulation that I am having a hard time accepting, please, feel free to read it for yourself.”

He pushed the scroll toward her as the maid entered with more food and another cup of tea.

Sakura picked her tea cup up with a polite nod to the maid and began reading the scroll. Her eyes narrowed and continued to narrow to green slits the more she read. She had no idea that things were done this way...she had heard of such things of course but...to see them in writing in an academy book was one thing. To sit across from a ...friend while eating breakfast and seeing his distraught disturbed face over the contract...was another.

She had no idea such a contract had been made between the Senju and the Uzumaki prior to Mito and Hashirama’s marriage. Who...who was the child that they had to give away she wondered. Nothing was known about this in her time. Did they die in the destruction of the Land of Eddies?

“Hashirama…” Sakura looked across the table at her friend. Her heart went out to him, the poor man. “What are you going to do?” She asked him. Clearly he had a choice, but she really only saw one feasible outcome. He would have to give up his second born.

“What can I do? I must.” His voice broke and shook.

“Hashi.” Sakura moved from around the table to his side and wrapped her arms around the man. “I’m so sorry Hashi. I can’t even imagine having to do such a thing.” She whispered into his hair as she pulled him closer to her.

Hashirama gripped the sleeves of Sakura’s shirt in surprise. She was hugging him...closely, of her own volition. She was holding him and pulling him closer to her body, her warm, soft body. He closed his eyes and ran his hands up her arms, over her shoulders and around her neck pulling her to him instead of her pulling him to her.

“Sakura.” His voice was husky as he inhaled her scent through her hair and ran his lips along the base of her neck, she didn’t seem to notice his touch as she cooed softly to him in comfort.

“What do I do? What would you do if you were me?” He spoke into her hair, the fine silky strands teasing his lips.

“Me?” She thought for a moment…”I would never give up my child, be them first or second born to anyone. I would burn the village to the ground.” She joked.

“Yeah?” He was surprised but pleased with her reply. “You would do whatever was needed? You would protect your child at any cost and do what needed to be done for them right?” He asked her seriously.

“Of course Hashi.” She continued to hug him and thus was unable to see the steely resolve in his brown eyes. 

“I would do whatever it took to protect the ones I loved, and children are innocent, they must be protected at any cost.” Sakura hummed into the side of his neck when he turned in their embrace to lay his head on her shoulder drawing her closer.

“Yes...the days that the clans use children as a weapon or a bargaining tool are over. That’s why we are building our village, that was Madara and I’s dream as children...to never see another one of our brothers fall in battle, to never send children to the front lines to be used selfishly.” His eyes opened and fell to the open scroll where it was slowly slipping off the table onto the floor behind Sakura.

“I’ll do whatever I have to do then.” Hashirama slid his hand up into Sakura’s hair, his other around her waist and hugged her tightly before she pulled away from him, before they went back to...being just friends again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and that's the last chapter for daily multiple updates.
> 
> We'll see how taxing my new work schedule is and go from there but as I said I predict regular weekly updates from now on.
> 
> ...let me know what you think so far. Remember how I write, for those of you who know...twist and turn, it changes like the wind...who do you think she'll be with now?
> 
> Hajime coming soon...
> 
> QUICK NOTE: Reading other people's comments helps to answer your questions sometimes :)


	39. Chapter 39

Two weeks had passed and the village was finally looking like...a village.

The market was small, but it was growing. Two new families had come just that morning to join the seven that had stayed from the original work crews. The Sarutobi, impatient and not willing to wait, had shown up that morning unexpectedly and were in the Senju main house, which was now completed and occupied, being entertained by both Madara and Hashirama.

“Do you think they’ll join?” Izuna asked Sakura as she organized her dried herbs on the shelves in the storage room of the hospital.

“Yes.” She tapped each lid, counting in her head, then marking them down in her ledger. “I think the Sarutobi will join. Tobirama said that the clan has had a close history with the Senju for several generations.”

“True.” Izuna agreed, watching her move files from the table on the far side of the room to the ‘File cabinets’, as she called them. “You really know what you’re doing huh?”

“I’ve done it before.” Sakura smiled at him. 

She had been working hard over the last three weeks, first helping out with marking off plots for new buildings according to Tobirama’s maps so he could be free to direct the crews, then in her garden cutting, storing and preparing medicines...which she was now separating, canning and storing in the storage rooms of the hospital.

“Where?” Izuna asked her. Like the rest of the clan, he had gotten to know her better over the last three weeks, often stopping by to see what she was doing in between his own tasks, like the others...and still he didn’t know as much about her as his brother did, or as much as Tobirama seemed to. The only person who seemed to know less than he did was Hashirama, which Izuna found odd. He was the first of them to interact with her. 

Izuna often noticed she would step away or move slightly when the Clan head of the Senju would join them, not in a scared or unfriendly way, he thought it was more out of respect for the man. She did however, shy away from physical contact with the man more than the rest of them. In fact, she was quite comfortable with Tobirama, too comfortable for Izuna’s taste, and she seemed extremely comfortable with his brother as well...which puzzled Izuna.

He sighed as she pulled yet another box of dried herbs from her storage scroll and began the long drawn out process of separating, jarring and labeling each one. “Will we need all of this? I don’t think even the herbalist in Rain has this many herbs at the ready.” He teased her.

“I’ve had three times this much at my disposal and have run out before.” Sakura laughed at him. “Trust me, we’ll need all of it, eventually.”

Izuna smiled, she was smiling one of those smiles she sometimes had, a smile that made him think she knew more than she was saying. He shrugged. “You would know Doctor, but do you need these herbs to heal...I saw you fix that man’s broken arm like it was nothing the other day and the woman who twisted her ankle while carrying her laundry to the river...seemed so simple for you.”

“Not all ailments are physical.” She reminded him.

“Yea yea, okay.” He held his hands up in mock surrender. She had spent two hours explaining the scary world of ‘Germs’ to him yesterday. He didn’t need a recap.

“Jinso and Kinsha should be arriving any day now. Their tavern and inn was finished yesterday.” He told her.

“I’m glad they will be coming. I liked them.” Sakura looked up from the jar she was labeling to look out the window. “Who is that?”

A cold drip fell down her spine and spread out all over her body. That chakra...was so familiar and yet...different at the same time.

“Hum?” Izuna looked out the window and frowned. “I don’t know, let’s go see, unless you want to finish what you’re doing first?” He asked her looking at the expression on her face.

“Sakura? Are you okay, what’s wrong?” Izuna looked at her with concern. 

She looked like she was going to be sick. It had taken her a few days to get over the drain of killing Zetsu but she had been more herself these last few weeks, happier, like the rest of them, excited about what they were doing together in the village. However, now...she looked ill, her skin seemed to tremble and her mouth hung open slightly as if she wanted to speak but couldn’t.

Izuna watched the woman shake herself as if to rid herself of a bad omen. Her eyes brightened again as she looked at him.

“I’m sure it is nothing, I thought, for a moment, I recognized that chakra signature but…” She laughed vaguely, “That’s...impossible.”

He cocked his head to the side, “Well, let’s go find out who it is together hum?” Izuna grabbed her hand pulling her to the window and jumped, whisking her along with him making her laugh, which was...his intent.

Hashirama, Madara and The Sarutobi clan head Sasuke Sarutobi were standing shoulder to shoulder, Tobirama off to the side slightly, arms over his chest looking at the new arrival with cautious red eyes.

Madara seemed stiff in his figure as they approached and Sakura wondered who it could be, both Tobirama and Madara didn’t seem as thrilled or as complacent as Hashirama or Sasuke Sarutobi was to see them.

“Ah! Izuna, Sakura! There you are, we were just speaking your praises Sakura.” Hashirama rushed over to her and made to take her hands but paused as she took a step back from him, it wasn’t him that bothered her though, it was the man behind him. A hurt look came over his face momentarily but was immediately replaced with a look of...joy, as he rushed her and Izuna over to their guest.

“Sakura, Izuna, please meet the Shimura Clan head and his associates.” Hashirama smiled at the Shimura clan head, then at Sakura and Izuna.

“Shimura.” Sakura kept herself from growling but could not entirely keep the look of loathing and disgust from her eyes.

“She dares speak in a man’s presence, a woman?” The Shimura clan head raised a brow at Hashirama, his tone bored and slightly annoyed. “...and among so many superiors too.” His tone turned humored as he addressed Hashirama instead of Sakura, even though she had been the one to speak.

Sakura opened her mouth to reply but Izuna pushed her behind him, stepping out in front of her. 

“Sakura is one of us, our equal and she is allowed to speak her mind. She only repeated your name...and you insult her.”

“An equal?” The Shimura laughed at Izuna. “A woman? I had heard the Uchiha had changed, but to this level of...commonality, tsk.”

Izuna bristled at the insult, stepping forward, his hand reaching behind his back for his sword.

Madara flared his chakra to gather everyone's attention to himself and spoke in calm measured tones. “There would be no village without Sakura. She is a woman, and a kunoichi. Give her your respect, as she has earned ours.”

Madara’s words were clear. If the Shimura disrespected Sakura, they disrespected Madara, Hashirama, Tobirama and Izuna as well...and would be dealt with. “Izuna, stay your hand and step back. The Shimura are no fools, even if they have just chosen their words foolishly.”

“No disrespect was given Uchiha.” Shimura gave Sakura a stern calculating look. “I simply have yet to meet a woman, kunoichi or civilian, worth my respect.”

Sakura’s chakra flared quite unintentionally, making Madara grin and Tobirama smile. Izuna actually took a slightly nervous step back from her, and Hashirama laughed nervously.

“Now Sakura, try to calm yourself, he said he meant no disrespect and we have a lot of new buildings around here, I wouldn’t want to have to rebuild them so soon after they were settled.” Hashirama laughed again, looking from Sakura’s narrowed eyes to the Shimura’s taunting smirk.

“What he says and what he does are two different things.” Tobirama observed the Shimura, recalling Sakura’s words from weeks before. “Disrespect was given, even if he says he didn't mean to give it.” Tobirama looked at the Shimura like the worm he was.

‘The Clan head’s son, Danzo will grow up to be one of the most sadistic sons of bitches I have ever met and I plan on killing him as soon as I am able to prevent the spread of his evil on the shinobi world as a whole, whether the Shimura join the village or not.’ Those had been her exact words.

He thought he had seen hatred in her eyes when she had said those words to him before, but it was nothing compared to the killing intent and hatred he felt rolling off of her now...and he knew he wasn’t the only one who felt it.

Every man present had their eye on the petite pink haired woman before them, a wary calculating eye...all but one. The Clan head Shimura, continued to survey Sakura with an eye between, condescension and leering.

“I will be the first to admit, kunoichi do serve a certain purpose in the shinobi world.” The Shimura said, his eyes never leaving Sakura’s. “If they are pleasant enough to look at. Seduction missions are easy enough for a pretty face.”

“You fucking…” Sakura surged forward, her chakra exploding around her...deep cracks around her feet shot out like spiderwebs embedded in the earth, as she pushed her chakra to her hands in the form of twin chakra blades.

“Sakura!” Tobirama threw formula his tags and flashed before the Shimura Clan head before she could start a war.

Sakura was moving too quickly, the power behind her thrust was too great. Her left hand sliced through the front of Tobirama’s shirt, laying open his chest in a foot long gash, turned, spun and stopped herself, just barely from cutting his throat.

“Tobirama Sama!” Sakura dropped to her knees as Tobirama fell to the ground. Her chakra warped and changed before their eyes, arcing from finger to finger, from weaponized chakra blades to healing chakra.

“I’m sorry.” She stammered, pressing her hands to his chest. “Tobirama, forgive me.”

Hashirama, nothing daunted watched as she healed his brother before their eyes. The Shimura and his assembly moved closer to see the kunoichi heal the Senju. Little by little Tobirama’s wound sealed, the skin grafting and connecting as they observed her healing prowess first hand.

“Damn woman.” Tobirama ran his hand over his bare chest appreciatively, then tried to pull the ends of his shredded shirt back together. “I didn’t know you could use your chakra like that.”

Izuna’s eyes were wide in admiration, he had only seen her fight once before this and he had thought her skilled then, this was...incredibly hot. He looked at his brother, who was also looking at Sakura with admiration.

“Hum.” The Shimura Clan head looked Sakura in the eye as she rose to her feet with Tobirama, resentful acknowledging her. “It seems I spoke to soon, you are an adequate fighter, for a woman, and a decent healer.”

Madara turned cold dark eyes to the Shimura Clan head. “Perhaps you shouldn’t have spoken at all then.”

“That’s twice now Uchiha that you’ve spoken up on the woman’s behalf.” The man’s oily voice made Sakura sick. “Is she under your protection?”

“I don’t need anyone’s protection.” Sakura snarled. “I can protect myself.”

“Are you threatening her?” Tobirama said at the same time Sakura had spoken her own words.

“An observation.” The man looked from Tobirama to Madara. “I think I understand.” He smirked.

“No, I don’t think you do.” Hashirama surprised everyone with the venom in his voice. “If you continue to insult and challenge my head medic, I will have to ask you to leave, Shimura San.”

“Of course, of course. I meant no disrespect.” The man eyed Sakura once more briefly before turning back to Hashirama. “Now then, allow me to see this great village that I have heard so much about hum?”

Sarutobi moved up alongside Sakura as Hashirama led the Shimura and his assembly away from the front gates. “That was incredible Sakura Hime.” Sasuke Sarutobi said with more than a slight hint of admiration in his voice. Sarutobi had remained quiet, choosing to observe their interaction, a wise man.

“Hime?” Sakura looked at the Lord Third’s father in surprise, the resemblance was quite prominent.

“Forgive me Sakura Hime, I have heard your praises sung all morning from Lord Senju and Lord Madara, I feel as though I already know you.” Sasuke Sarutobi smiled charmingly at her, setting her at ease. He bowed low from the waist, offering her the respect that the Shimura Clan had thought they were above providing.

“Sakura.” Madara rested his hand on her shoulders and stood behind her. “Allow me to introduce Sasuke Sarutobi, the clan head of the Sarutobi Clan, they have just agreed to join our village.” Madara patted her shoulder once, preventing her from leaning back against him like she had started to do subconsciously, nodding to Sasuke with familiarity.

“That’s wonderful.” Sakura smiled sincerely at Sarutobi, who glanced at the Uchiha Clan head’s hand on the woman’s shoulder.

“I am in agreement with that sentiment my dear, particularly seeing you strike a mark on Tobirama San, and then heal him, nearly effortlessly.” Sarutobi smiled a good humored smile at her with the barest hint of flirtation.

“The magnitude of my effort was spent willing myself to continue to heal Tobirama, instead of killing the Shimura.” Sakura put her hands on her hips earning her an amused look from both Madara and Sarutobi.

“Hum, you’re a firecracker aren't you.” Sarutobi laughed, his smiles infectious and flattering. “Yes, I see, Quite. I’d hate to be on your bad side hum, poor Shimura, made a formidable enemy today.”

Sakura snorted. “I’m sure I’m not the only one he’ll make ‘visiting’.”

Izuna snickered behind his hand and Tobirama rolled his eyes.

“If you’re quite through Sakura, I’ll return shortly. I find myself in need of a new shirt thanks to you.” Tobirama nodded to the group politely before leaving, his shirt front held together with one hand, scraps of it in the other.

“If the Senju couldn’t avoid the attack he deserves to lose his shirt.” Izuna winked at Sakura who scoffed openly at him. “We should spar sometime, Sakura.” Izuna winked at her.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Sarutobi smiled, shoving his hands in his front pockets and rocking back on his heels. “I suppose she would just heal you after.”

Sakura blushed while Izuna laughed at the easy going Sarutobi Clan head.

“I need to catch up with Hashirama.” Madara nodded to Sarutobi, then turned to Sakura. “Try not to kill anyone while I’m gone, hum, Love?”

“I’ll join you.” Sasuke bowed formally to Sakura, a smile still clung to the corners of his lips. “Do not listen to Shimura my dear, he is a relic of the past that is one generation from dying away. This is the future.” He waved his hand at the village around them.

“I am aware, but thank you for your kindness.” Sakura returned his bow with a smile. She rather liked the Lord Third’s father.

Madara and Sarutobi left Izuna and Sakura alone once more to catch up with Hashirama and the Shimura entourage. 

As the two men walked away, Sakura heard Sarutobi ask Madara in a hushed voice. “What a delightful woman, is she taken?”

She failed to hear Madara’s response but turned to find Izuna looking at her with an odd expression on his face.

“What?” She asked him as they stood at the front gates.

“You’re going to have to choose eventually you know.” He smiled a little smile at her.

She didn’t even try to pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about. “...and if I chose no one?” She asked.

“We’ll all die of broken hearts.” He smirked at her, threw his arm around her neck and walked back to her hospital with her to watch her file more files in her ‘filing cabinets’.

“What the hell were you thinking Hashirama, accepting Shimura’s Clan’s request to visit the village!” Madara slammed his hands down on the table in front of him, his chakra cracking the wooden surface beneath. “Have you any idea what you’ve just done!”

Hashirama’s eyes went wide. “I didn’t know Sakura felt so strongly about them, you never said why she didn’t want them to join the village, only that it was important that they don’t!” Hashirama protested. “I didn’t know that they couldn’t even visit!”

“Madara, I swear! I didn’t know she would react like that!” Hashirama sat back in his chair, his hands to the side of his head. “She was going to kill him, really kill him wasn’t she? Did you see? Did you see how fast she was Madara? She got a hit on Tobi, on Tobi! Is she mad at me?”

Madara looked at his friend in disgust. He didn’t know. They hadn’t told him why they didn’t want the Shimura Clan to join the village. It wasn’t his place to tell Hashirama, it was Sakura’s. They had discussed it extensively, the village, what she knew, her situation, the future of the Uchiha Clan, in between intimate...interactions...in their ‘dreams’.

How could he possibly explain the seriousness of the situation to his friend without betraying Sakura’s trust…

“You need to speak with her.” Madara leaned back and away from Hashirama’s desk. “Soon.”

“You don’t...think she would leave do you? Over this?” Hashirama looked at his friend with real panic in his eyes. 

“Is it that serious? What could the man have possibly done to her Madara? Her face, I’ve never seen her so...deadly serious before. This is serious isn’t it? What did he do to ehr?” Hashirama asked again.

“Not him personally, but a member of his clan. It’s difficult to explain.” Madara rubbed his face with his hands, he needed a drink. “Just talk to her, but get the Shimura out of the village first.” 

Madara rose to his feet and walked out of his friend’s house, East, toward the training fields, he needed to blow off some steam. These last few weeks had been hectic and he hadn’t had any opportunity to train. 

His body, after seeing Sakura move like lightning earlier by the gate, made him itch to move as well. Like Izuna, he wanted to spar with her as well, but he wasn’t sure if that was a very good idea, he tended to get very...competitive.

As pleasurable as their dreams were together and as close as they had become over the last few weeks through their shared connection, it was also terribly taxing on his physical body. He needed a release and if he couldn’t find a physical release with Sakura the way he wanted to...he would settle for training to exhaustion.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you might remember the name Takeo from my other fic, 'The War Within', and Shizuka from 'Kaishi'.

Anxious fingers tapped the edges of the old scroll, its silk wrapper lay over her knee as she considered her options. 

She told Madara, Izuna, Hashirama and Tobirama that she needed a few days alone...to meet with her new summons. Their looks of surprise had made her nervous. None of them had asked her...how she had gotten a new summons. None of them knew that she already had the summoning scroll contract. None of them knew about Lady Katsuyu...and it made her wonder why they trusted her at all.

There had been so much she hadn’t been able to tell them in the beginning and so much that she couldn’t tell them now…

Madara...was different from the others. Tobirama knew of her circumstances but Madara was the only one who really understood. He would help the others understand or accept her...quirks.

Sakura’s tiny tongue tip slipped out of her mouth and wet her lips. ‘If they don’t sign you , they kill you’...that’s what Kakashi had told her…

Slowly, she unwound the silken cord of the ancient scroll. Carefully, she peeled back the whale bone lining that protected the outside of the scroll and unfurled the frayed dingy rice paper of the original contract...and blinked.

There were only two names before, hers. Just three names on the worn and weathered rice grain...Indra and Ashura Otsutsuki…and Sakura Haruno.

Sakura gasped. “How...is that even possible?” Her name and hand print was on the scroll...

Indra’s and Ashura’s names were faded, their blood signature’s turned black, they were inactive of course...because Indra and Ashura were dead, reincarnated into Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, but Sakura’s signature was...bright red, bright blood red.

“It’s... active?” Sakura was puzzled. “When the hell did I sign a summoning contract with the wolves?” She would have remembered such a thing.

This was impossible...unless. Sakura shook her head, no, how could she have signed a contract with them unless...she had done it now, would have done it here, in the past and... and it could have survived and endured through time...Sakura ran her fingers over her Yin seal, or had her signature been black until now…she had no memories of it, but if time ran along an even line then...

Kakashi had brought her the scroll, it couldn’t have been easy for him to do such a thing. She wished he had been able to tell her more, to stay with her longer, to explain things a bit better. She wondered how much he knew...that he wasn’t telling her.

Hashirama and Tobirama had told her when she pulled Zetsu from Madara, her chakra ribbons from her Yin seal had glowed around the black from green to purple to blue. When Hashirama had given her one of her chakra pills she had felt both her reserves and her regular pools fill to near capacity again, then immediately deplete as she pulled it to her fingertips, freeing Madara of the parasite Black Zetsu.

Her head had felt like it had broken around her Yin seal, she had felt like she was dying...worried that she might. Since her recovery, she had noticed how much deeper her pools had become. Her head hadn’t cracked, her inner chakra pools had expanded, forming new pools of their own...providing her with a deeper reserve.

For the past two weeks, she had been replenishing her pools, eating a soldier pill every two to three days and resting every night, only using her chakra when absolutely necessary. They weren’t full yet, but they were getting there. There was no need to fill them in a rush like there had been when Madara had been infected by Zetsu. 

Sakura had used her Yin seal twice now in a month. She didn’t wish to risk using it again so soon if she could help it, but she was interested to find out just how much deeper her reserve pools had grown.

Now, with the summoning scroll unfurled in her lap, she wondered how large and how powerful a creature she would be able to summon. The more chakra you were able to use when summoning, the larger the summons, typically.

She was stalling, she knew...with a nervous laugh, Sakura bit her thumb, and slammed both of her hands to the ground.

The crack of her chakra was deafening, the energy that exploded into shattered earth around her hands and feet was terrifying, and when the earth settled back into layered chaos, all she could see was black.

Sakura looked and looked, but there was nothing but black…

“What, what happened?” She whispered, her head turning left and right.

“Decided to abandon those disgusting slugs at long last I see.” A deep, dark gravely snarling voice had Sakura tripping frantically over her feet as she realized the black in front of her wasn’t due to the lack of light, but because it was a mass of dark hair, the dark pelt of a massive wolf.

She stumbled, ran, tripped and fell over backwards, her eyes were large and terrified at the huge beast before her. 

“Shit.” She gasped over and over.

She had been standing under the beast, it’s four massive legs surrounding her, blocking the light of the sun like a total eclipse. Now, she could see it’s outline, now she could see the bright yellow luminous eyes fixed onto her green ones.

“Slug coat your tongue girl? Can’t even say hello after making us wait all this time?” A huge black head descended upon Sakura. A wet, large nose the size of a small boulder nudged her, making her fall backward again and roll off to the side in a stunned heap.

“Hmph.” The beast looked down at her curiously. “I don’t remember you being such a...pushover…” It’s short whiskers along it’s chin quivered before it broke out into raucous, deafening laughter.

“Are you, my summons?” Sakura scrambled to her feet, her eyes still wide as she took in the enormity of the wolf in front of her, it’s head towering over the tops of the trees around them, it’s shoulders and body brushing against their leaves and it’s paws set upon the ground wide and splayed, nearly three feet in width.

Yellow eyes narrowed in suspicion. The boulder like nose nudged her again, more gently under her arms into her side, sniffing her in loud, wet, woofing breaths. “It’s you alright, do you not remember me then? The Elder said that might happen. I didn’t believe him, swore you’d never forget me.” The wolf’s voice deepened, his eyes watching her fondly.

The huge beast looked down at her expectantly, then sighed and sagged when it was clear...Sakura did not remember him.

“Takeo.” He bowed his head. “Takeo of the Wild...we used to be...best friends Sakura.”

Sakura looked up into his great yellow eyes. She could feel his sadness, his longing and his...love. “Takeo. I’m sorry. I don’t remember but I don’t remember having a contract with the wolves at all, it is not just you that I can’t recall.”

“Oh?” Takeo bowed his head down again and ruffled her hair with woofing sniffles. “We wondered. Your name changed from black to red one day and we didn’t know why.”

“You know me then.” Sakura looked down to her feet where the summoning contract lay open on the ground. She bent over at the waist and picked it up. “Did you know Indra and Ashura Otsutsuki as well?” She asked Takeo curiously.

Takeo growled a lowly growl, his eyes narrowed to slits. Sakura gasped at his sudden killing intent and took several steps back, away from the gargantuan wolf.

“Wha, what’s wrong Takeo?” Sakura stammered, unsure what her chances would be if the wolf decided to renege on their contract and attack her.

“Ashura Otsutsuki...I thought that disgusting pervert was dead.” Takeo growled even lower than before, his large head sweeping from side to side searching, his nostrils flaring madly. “Has he hurt you? What did he do to you now!” Takeo barked out loudly making Sakura’s ears hurt.

She clapped her hands to the sides of her head over her ears and pressed her lips together, eyes squinted closed.

“What do you mean? I don’t even know him, he’s dead, has been for generations.” Sakura cracked one eye open and tilted her head back to look up at Takeo who had started pacing back and forth in front of her, the surrounding trees quivering in his wake, brushing against his sides, and swaying dangerously against the swatting of his tail.

“Ashura of course!” Takeo stopped pacing in front of her and sat down abruptly, the ground shaking beneath his paws. He ducked his head to meet her eyes. “Has he touched you?”

“What?” Sakura squeaked at the direct yellow gaze, Takeo’s teeth slipping past his muzzle as he snarled over her head again.

“Oh, you don’t know.” The wolf seemed to calm himself. “I forgot. The Elder told me he was reincarnated. Why did you ask about that slimy bastard and his stuck up brother then if you didn’t know them as they were?”

Sakura considered Takeo’s words before answering him. “I saw them on the summons contract, their names were before mine. Why are there only three names on the summoning scroll Takeo and when did I sign it?” She asked him.

“You were the last.” He paused. “The last to see our pack thrive. After you left...we were lost.” Takeo ducked his head and laid his chin over his paws, laying down in front of Sakura on the forest floor. “I was so lost without you Sakura. Why? Why did you leave me without even saying goodbye?” 

“I know the Elder told me it had been foreseen, that your time with us was short but to leave without a hug, without any word of farewell….” Takeo’s large tongue lallied out from his muzzle and licked her from waist to eyebrows. Sakura resisted the urge to cough and gag.

“I missed you so much and waited and waited and now finally you’re back, only now you don’t remember me and…” Takeo trailed off, his voice sad and gruff.

“Did you say back?” Sakura asked, confused. She had never been sealed back in time before Sasuke had sealed her here, and he hadn’t answered her second question yet.

“Well, your reincarnation.” Takeo said absently. “Your name changed of course, on the contract, but we knew that would happen. After Ashura forced you to marry him we voided his contract. Then when Indra turned against the pack and killed the former Elder...he too was voided from his contract, but that was after you left at least.” Takeo growled.

Sakura sat down before the wolf hard, her knees weak and her legs buckled. “Reincarnation?”

“Oh no.” Takeo looked sufficiently guilty. “The Elder told me not to tell you.” One great paw lifted before her and he covered one of his eyes. “Many of us didn’t agree with his decision to keep things from you…” He added.

“Well you might as well keep going.” Sakura said a little more rudely than she had meant to, but Takeo didn’t seem upset by her short tone. His muzzle drew back to reveal two wicked looking canines.

“I tried to kill him you know, after you died, Shizuka.” The wolf grinned. “Almost did too, but that Ashura, is a crafty one. Something you should remember. Who is he now? The Elder said he and Indra were reincarnated, after you left.”

“After I left?” Sakura said to herself but Takeo nodded. “Did you just call me Shizuka?”

“That was your name...then.” Takeo licked her hand. “It changed, recently, that’s how we knew...you were back, and what your name was…”

It was a lot to take in and Sakura wasn’t sure she was handling it all that well. Her head was spinning, and she felt ill.

“I’m a reincarnation?” She asked the wolf who nodded. “...and Indra and Ashura...knew me?”

“Ashura stole you away in the night, the scum, from Indra’s bed and then…that man came and...” Takeo seemed to catch himself. “I can’t say. I’ll get in trouble with the Elder.” He ducked his head.

“Uh, I assume you are referring to Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. Ashura Otsutsuki and Indra Otsutsuki’s reincarnations?” Sakura looked up at the wolf, his head bowed low. ‘Stole you from Indra’s bed’, her face flushed, thinking of her dreams of Madara, so there had been a precedent for her attraction...

“Damn. I lost.” He muttered ignoring her question, slapping his paw against the forest floor making Sakura’s entire body jump off of the ground.

“Lost?” Sakura righted herself and looked at the wolf in interest, her fear dwindling as they continued to converse.

“The bet.” Takeo moaned. “I bet with Masato, the Elder, that they wouldn’t be reincarnated.”

“Oh.” Sakura hadn’t been expecting that. “How much?”

Takeo turned his head away from her, ignoring her question and the one before that, until she sighed in annoyance.

“So?” Takeo nudged her in the center of the chest, his focus on her once again.

Sakura had been looking down at the summoning contract, at Ashura and Indra’s names. She looked up at Takeo when he had nudged her. “What?”

“Do you want to see everyone again? The entire pack has been mad with joy since your name turned red. We had a hard time finding you through all of those damn strings of fate and time.” He complained.

“What?” She didn’t understand.

Takeo cocked his head to the side as though confused. “Didn’t he tell you how hard we have been searching for you?” Did that dog not tell her how long they had been searching for her?

“Who?” Sakura didn’t know who Takeo was referring to.

“Hatake, your mate. That damned dog Kakashi and his ridiculous pets!” Takeo was exasperated. “He didn't! I told him that little guy, that...what the hell was his name...Pakkun! I told Pakkun to tell you how we missed you and how we have been searching for you for decades!” Takeo snapped his jaws together in his frustration.

...but it wasn’t his jaws that had startled her, no it was his words.

“My mate? Did you just say you spoke with Pakkun? One of Kakashi’s ninken, the one with the blue coat?” She asked.

“How else do you think you got the scroll?” It was Takeo’s turn to be confused. “We gave it to Pakkun, to give to you. We heard the dog had found a way to speak to you through time with the help of the nine tailed Uzumaki boy. They used the nine tails chakra to send the scroll to you so you could stay here, with your mate.”

Sakura stared at him. He had lied to her. Kakashi had lied to her...there is only one reason he would do that…”Oh kami Kakashi, what have you done?” She said quietly to herself, making Takeo cock his head in curiosity again. “Wait, did you say stay here, with...my mate?”

“When did Sakura say she would be back?” Izuna picked his tea cup up and looked at his brother across the table in inquiry.

“Three days.” Madara replied without looking at his brother, his face turned to the window where he thought he saw the trees moving on the side of the mountain in the distance. “After the Shimura leave the village.”

Izuna nodded, he understood. Madara hadn’t told him everything, he knew, but he had told him enough to understand why Sakura had been so upset. Both Madara and Tobirama had told Hashirama that the Shimura and Sakura had a poor history, and the man had accepted their request for a tour of the village anyway.

It had been a long time since he had seen his brother so upset about something other than war, it had been entertaining, and a bit frightening to feel Madara’s chakra crack again. Izuna and Tobirama had met one another at the stairs to the central tower, the Hokage’s Tower, as Sakura was fond of calling it, and had felt Madara’s chakra flare and rage within the walls of the tower...then they heard the shouting.

Tobirama had made a few quick hand signs, slapped a seal on the building so no one but them could hear what Madara was yelling about, who he was yelling at, and they had stood there side by side and waited until both of their older brothers had finished shouting at one another.

Tobirama had removed the seal and turned to Izuna with a grim look. “I’ll talk to Hashirama, you take care of Madara.” 

...and they had parted ways to see what could be done about the situation only to have Sakura herself join them later to announce she was leaving the village for three days to confer with her new summons. A summons none of them knew she had. When had she even signed a contract with a new summons...didn’t she hint that she used to have a summons?

They had each voiced their questions after she had left that evening but none of them had anymore answers than the rest of them. Night had just settled and the moon was rising. Izuna hoped she was okay. She had gotten so skilled at reducing and controlling her already slight chakra signature, that only Tobirama was able to locate her now, and only if he tried extremely hard. Even then, he said he could only triangulate her position within a certain radius.

“Madara, I’ve been thinking. Don’t you find it strange that Sakura lived in the forest all alone and yet...she holds such animosity toward the Shimura?” Izuna asked his brother. “She said she is a civilian born but if that were true...she wouldn’t come into any direct contact with them would she? The Shimura view civilians as little more than slaves.”

Madara understood his brother’s reasoning. What his brother didn’t understand is Sakura’s circumstances. He didn’t blame him for being confused.

“Also, she is so incredibly skilled Madara...not only for a woman but for a shinobi in general. Who taught her? Women, can be good shinobi, but let’s be honest, most of them aren’t even given the slightest chance, much less a fair one. Where the hell would she have found a sensei who would agree to teach her?” Izuna shook his head in frustration.

“Do you...uh, think she is lying to us?” Izuna asked quietly.

Madara understood. Before he realized that the dreams he had of the woman, before Black Zetsu had been eliminated, were of Sakura’s past he had been both curious and suspicious in turn. The woman had been an enigma to him. Nothing about her added up, nothing about her situation or her personality made any sense. He understood Izuna’s confusion.

“Is omission lying?” Madara asked his younger brother. “Perhaps she can not tell us, for her own safety or ours.”

Izuna had thought of that already. “She trusts us now though. Not as much as I would like her to but...I think she trusts us. Why can’t she tell us where she’s from?”

“We’ve made peace with the Senju and many other clans who wish to join us here in our new village. She isn’t from a clan so that can’t be the reason, she would have told us what clan she was from if it were.” Izuna persisted. “She said that she had been engaged but that she had never been married. Do you think...she killed him?”

Madara choked on his tea, then started coughing harshly. “Izuna, I think....it is unwise...to make such...assumptions.” He said in between coughing fits. “She will tell us about her past when she is ready.”

Izuna nodded. “Have you seen the trinket she wears around her neck Madara?” Izuna was watching him carefully.

“Her necklace?” Madara had noticed it. He had wondered where she had gotten it.

“Tobirama gave it to her Madara, and she accepted it. The Senju told me, earlier today, after we were discussing her summons.” Izuna set his empty tea cup down, his hands folded over one another on the table. “Do you think she knows what it meant? What he meant by giving that to her?”

Madara knew why Izuna was asking. He, like the others, had noticed Sakura’s ignorance of certain social norms of their time. He, unlike the others, was aware of the reason behind this unusual quirk...as was Tobirama.

“I can’t say for sure.” He couldn’t without speaking to her about it. “Tobirama does though, and that, I take it, is why you are mentioning it?” Madara watched the frown forming on his brother’s face.

“She’ll choose one of us eventually won’t she?” Izuna asked him seriously.

The innocently hopeful look on his brother’s face made Madara feel guilty. Guilty that he couldn’t tell his own brother the truth about the woman they both adored, guilty that he was taking his pleasure from her without her awareness and guilty that he had absolutely no intentions of stopping...but was determined to see how far he could push her boundaries in their minds.

“Maybe.” Madara answered his brother’s question. “Or maybe none of us.” He said logically much to Izuna’s annoyance.


	41. Angel of Death, penalized dual blades

Takeo dropped his massive head onto Sakura’s shoulder and nuzzled the left side of her body as it sagged under the added weight. “I...really missed you Shizuka, your new name is pretty, it suits you but...so did your other name.” His whiskers brushed the side of her face and ears tickling her skin, making her giggle.

“I’m sorry I don’t remember Takeo.” Sakura could tell the wolf was upset she couldn’t remember him, but was glad he didn’t seem to blame her.

“The Elder warned me, you might not remember, that you probably wouldn’t remember...I just thought.” Takeo sat back on his haunches and ducked his head. “I thought you might at least remember me since we were so close.” He blinked at her slowly with his beautiful yellow eyes, tail swishing behind him from side to side.

“I wish I did.” Sakura stepped forward and rubbed his chin, then scratched his jaw with both of her hands as his eyes closed in bliss.

“I’ll return, shall I? To the wilds and reverse summon you?” His eyes opened to focus on her again. “Old man Masato tried to hide his excitement, but I could tell, he is just as excited as the rest of us to see you.” Takeo winked at her. “The whole pack missed you Sakura.”

Sakura laughed out loud and nodded. “Then let’s not keep them waiting.” She bit her lip, was she ready for this? She had three days...she might as well use them wisely.

Takeo sprung to his feet making the trees shiver and moan around them. “I’ll call you in two shakes!” He grinned at her, his teeth gleaming. Sakura nodded and smiled. She was pleased with her summons, so far, but she had a lot of questions. Questions she hoped the Elder, Masato would be able to answer for her.

Takeo disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sakura waited, her hands running over the front of her shirt smoothing it down in her nervousness to meet the rest of the pack. The way Kakashi had warned her of the wolves, she had expected them to be much more aggressive and less...loveable. Perhaps, like her, he didn’t know she had already signed a contract with them...that she was a reincarnation.

Was that why Naruto was able to sign with the toads? His contract as Hashirama had been voided...and Madara, with the hawks because he had...killed the previous Elder Wolf?

She felt the pull behind her ears, the rush through her head and stumbled. Throwing her hands out to catch herself from falling on her face, she felt the soft fur of…”Takeo? You're smaller…”

Sakura looked into the eyes of Takeo whose head came to her shoulders. He was still much larger than any dog she had been used to in her time, but only a little bigger than Kiba’s Akamaru.

“I can change size. I wanted to show you how big I had gotten while you were gone!” Takeo pushed his head under her arm, making her hug him.

“Shizuka! Shizuka!”, “Her name is Sakura now!”, “Shizu er Sakura!”...wolves of all different colors and ages came bounding toward her, making her take a half a step back before Takeo nudged her forward, making her laugh again.

“It’s the pack Sakura, you don’t need to be afraid, we’re your family.” Takeo pushed the small of her back with his nose and she fell into a pile of fur and tongues and paws of happiness. Yips and barks and squeals could be heard into the tall trees.

“Ah, I see she’s returned to us, good. I need an ointment for my back.” The Elder wolf stepped forward slowly. “Like usual girl, you took your sweet time.”

“Hatake sure took his time in getting you that scroll Shizu.” The Elder lifted one of the many pups that had fallen over themselves, to get to the pink haired woman, and threw him roughly to the side so that only he, stood before Sakura. Keen white blue eyes surveyed her. “You look well my dear.”

“Yes. Thank you Elder Wolf.” Sakura replied hesitantly. 

The Elder wolf was ancient. His fur hung long along his chin making it look as though he had drooping jowls. His fur was white and grey in turns, his joints wobbly and gnarled. He moved slowly, spoke softly, and commanded the obedience of all of the other wolves present with a flick of his tail.

“Takeo tells me...it has been some time since I have been here Elder Wolf.” Sakura bowed to the wolf, low, in respect, lifting her eyes only after seeing the great wolf bow in return to her.

“Yes.” Masato nodded slowly, looking her over with wise solemn eyes. “It has been...quite some time my dear and yet for you...this is the first time is it not, that you remember?”

“Yes. I’m sorry.” Sakura began.

“No need for that my child, no need for apologies, save those for a time when they are required or expected, do not give out humility freely my girl, no no, not you...especially you my girl.” Masato nodded again. “You’re worth so much more.”

The Elder wolf’s eyes narrowed to humorous slits.

“I remember you. The first you.” Masato smiled an old man’s smile, his eyes glistening with days long past. “So sweet, so soft spoken, quiet like your name...your old name, but be damned if anyone spoke down to you, even then, you could hit...rather hard.” Masato rubbed the side of his face with a forearm and looked at her shyly.

“Set me in my place a few times.” He chuckled, making the younger wolves gasp and go wide in the eyes with disbelief.

“I did?” Sakura smiled at the thought. “You seem to know me but I don’t know you.” Her voice grew sad.

“Hmph.” The Elder wolf scoffed at her. “Of course you do. You know us where it is most important, in your heart. Come, lay your hands on my head like you used to. I’m an old wolf now, but I long for my old friend to pet me.” Masato hummed a low soothing growl at her to approach.

Sakura smiled, raised her arms and placed her hands on Masato’s head. His grey and white hairs sifted through her finger tips. His whole body relaxed at her touch, she could feel his trust, his love...like Takeo’s as she pet him, rubbed her hands through his fur and over his shoulders.

“This is, nice.” Sakura laid her head on the Elder’s shoulder, his wiry hair tickling her nose, his scent pleasant and mild like the leaf mold along the floor of the forest wilds in which they embraced. 

A heavy paw came up to hang over her shoulder, drawing her closer to his warmth. “Welcome home daughter, I hope you can stay with us, for a few days?” The Elder leaned his head against hers, ears twitching left then right.

“Three days, I told my friends I would need three days to get to know my new summons, before I knew I had already signed a contract with you.” Sakura raised a hand to wrap it around the Elder’s neck and hugged him. “I can stay.” She said softly into his fur.

“Good, then let’s go back to our den shall we?” He lifted her body up with the tip of his nose, using her underarm as leverage. “Get on, and hold on tight.”

“What?” Sakura pulled herself up onto the Elder’s back and gripped the thick scruff of the hair along his neck with both hands. “Are you…”

“Ayyyyyyeeeeaaaaa!” Sakura screamed and laughed as the Elder bounded up into the air and raced through the forest.

“It’s been a long time since you’ve ridden on one of us eh Sakura?” Takeo’s feet pounded soundlessly on the ground beside the Elder, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth as he grinned at her.

“This is so cool!” Sakura laughed and hugged the Elder around the neck as he ran through the forest toward a large mountain beyond the treeline.

Takeo let out a loud barking laugh, accompanied by the younger wolf’s shouts of glee. Sakura was among them again...she was home.

The wolves that had greeted her when Takeo had reversed summoned her, Sakura realized, were only a small few. As the Elder pushed through the hanging vines that hid the entrance to the massive cave system in and under the mountain, Sakura realized just how large their pack was. Her pack, she smiled to herself.

Masato stopped just inside the first large cavern, two rooms in from the entrance, and knelt down for Sakura to slide down from his back. “Do you remember where your room is?”

Sakura raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I have my own room?”

Masato chuckled. “You’re part of the pack Shizuka, of course you have your own room, it is right next to Takeo’s. Takeo show Shizuka to her old room, then meet us in the main hall. I'm sure the others are anxious to see her again. I’m sure they have already caught sniff of her scent and will be returning to the den shortly.” Masato nudged Sakura toward Takeo and turned toward the opposite hall to leave.

“This way Sakura!” Takeo slipped his head under her arm so that she was hugging him as they walked. 

Sakura smiled. They were so affectionate. “What a beautiful den.” Sakura complimented as they walked deeper into the cave together.

“There aren’t as many of us as there used to be, but we still keep it clean and most of the hallways are still used, even if all of the rooms aren’t. Our rooms are down this way.” Takeo turned down a more narrow hall off of the main hall they had been in.

“Here, this is my room on the left and your room is on the right.” Takeo walked into her room on the right and pointed a large paw to the round pallet in the corner. “I cleaned your bed for you, as soon as I knew you were coming back, so it was ready for you.” he sat down beside her bed, his tail sweeping the ground giving her an indication as to how he had ‘cleaned’ her bedding for her.

“Thank you Takeo.” Sakura rubbed her friend’s head and ears.

“You left some of your things here when you left before. I've, um, kept them nice for you.” Takeo pawed at a small chest on the other side of the room.

“Oh?” Sakura moved to the chest and opened the lid. 

There were several different colored shirts, much like the ones Tobirama had bought her, only they were much more form fitting and feminine. Some were trimmed with silver thread and others gold. There were ties and wraps, embroidered with little flowers of yellow and white, they were beautiful. ...but the most striking item in the box was the pearled dual blades sitting on top of the folded clothes.

“Exquisite.” Sakura hummed in appreciation as her hands reached out for the swords.

“Your chakra blades.” Takeo watched her with sentimental eyes. “You’re the only one who can wield them without harm coming to them.

“Harm?” Sakura unsheathed the blades and smiled, they were beautifully made, 2 degree, ten fold, diamond cut blades...and they fit her hands perfectly. 

“Chakra blades you said?” She could feel the energy, the power...coming from the blades, one in each hand, flowing into her, mixing with her coils, her...blood. Sakura closed her eyes. The energy was strong, dense and...dangerous. 

“These were mine?” She asked Takeo who nodded, his eyes hooded as he continued to watch her, he reminded her of Kakashi, if he had been a wolf. She smiled at the thought.

“Anyone who tried to touch one or both of your blades, would be injured, be it cut or burned...one man who thought to take your weapon from you...was drained of his chakra, the blades psyphoned it from his coils...and he died.” Takeo looked at the blades in her hands.

“They were known as the blades of Oni, demon blades...wielded by the Angel of Death.” Takeo watched Sakura sheath the blades and set them back on top of the clothes in the chest. “That was your other name. The Angel of Death.”

Sakura looked at Takeo, his voice was calm, but serious. His yellow eyes held hers. “Healing hands of an Angel, but skilled hands, that could take life as easily as you could save it.”

Takeo ducked his head. “We missed you Shizuka, so much...you were gone for so long. We missed you so much. I missed you.” Takeo held her gaze...his eyes half hooded, half crinkled with emotion she felt like...she knew...

Sakura walked the two steps it took to reach her friend and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Takeo.” She buried her face in his fur. “I want to remember, but I can’t. I’m here now though, that’s what matters and I feel…” She wasn’t sure how to explain it. She felt close to them…to him in particular.

“I feel.” She said with as much emotion as she could muster into the two terribly inadequate words.

Takeo seemed to understand though. “You’re here now. You’re right, that’s all that matters and we will be together, forever now.” Takeo licked the side of her face and Sakura didn’t feel like wiping it away this time, this time it felt good, reassuring that he was there, an assurance that she was no longer...a stranger here in this time, that she was no longer...alone.

“We should go, we need to see the others, I bet they are wondering where you are.” Takeo chuckled. “The Elder warned me not to hog you to myself.”

Sakura laughed. “I want to see the others too.”

If the pack was smaller, like Takeo and the Elder claimed, she couldn’t imagine how much larger it had been before their numbers had started to dwindle. Hundreds of wolves of all ages had gathered in the main den hall of the cave mountain to see her. She was the only human in a sea of moving fur and yet...she felt completely at home, at ease and safe.

One wolf after another nudged her, licked her or tucked their noses into her underarm. One after another greeted her, with either her current name or with the name they had once known her as. Once everyone had touched her in some form of greeting they moved as one mass to the fire pits, where pigs had been roasting for a day and a night in preparation of her arrival.

“How did you know when I would use my summoning scroll?” She asked the Elder as the meal was served. “I had the scroll for at least a couple of weeks before summoning Takeo.”

The wise old wolf looked at her with placating white eyes. “My dear, you forget how well I know you.”

“Here Sakura. I remembered you don’t like your meat as raw as we do. This is from the back where it has been cooked the longest.” Takeo nudged the dish of roasted pig rump to her.

Sakura could see where a wolf had torn the piece from the pig’s carcass and wondered how clean it was briefly before passing a chakra infused hand over it, ridding it of any harmful bacteria before tearing a piece off and chewing it slowly. 

“This is delicious.” ...and it really was. The meat was tender and hot. Juicy and flavorful.

“It was your favorite.” Takeo ripped a piece of his own portion from the thick bone and chewed noisily while Sakura continued to eat.

“I can see why.” She said enthusiastically. It was really good, but she still had questions she wanted answered.

“Elder.” Sakura began, but Masato laid a heavy paw in her lap to stop her from speaking further.

“After dinner, when the young have laid down for the night.” The Elder said gently. “I know you’ll have questions, you always do. We will talk then.”

Sakura nodded, they would talk later. It was nice to have someone to talk to, who knew because they had known her, not because they had guessed, or because they believed her when she had told them where she had come from...but because they knew her. The real her.

“Thank you Masato Sama.” Sakura tore another piece of meat off of the bone and ate hungrily, like the rest of the pack.

The Elder watched his old friend throughout the rest of the meal. She seemed happy to be back, even if she didn’t recall. She seemed pleased with her lot in life which made him wonder what she had gone through since leaving them, what she had been forced to endure without them. Shizuka had laid down to bed with the rest of their pack one evening, and when the pack woke up the following morning...when Takeo had gone into her room to wake her for the day...she hadn’t been there.

As was foretold in his dream, she had vanished, without saying goodbye, to another life...her next life.

Masato still didn't know why it had happened, only that it would happen, that it had happened...but that one day, she would return as suddenly as she had left them. In her time, her reincarnations time, there was only Takeo left that knew of her, that could find her. Takeo and two others...were all that would be left of their pack.

Shizuka, or Sakura...he had a hard time calling her by her new name, would come back to them and help revive their pack, help keep them safe and protect them from the dark, from the evil that had tried to snuff out their existence.

The wolves of the Wilds were a special pack, blessed by the Sage of Six Paths, as one of the first summons recognized by those who used chakra, before there were those who called themselves shinobi.

Hagoromo had blessed them himself with longevity and with the means to love more deeply than the other summoning animals of their time. Their bonds and their love through fierce loyalty, could heal all wounds...if you let them. 

The wolves of the Wilds, were a family summons. When you signed a summoning contract with them, it was for life, all of your lives, because love is timeless.

Ashura and Indra had been given the summoning scroll contract by their father but Masato had been leery of the brothers. Only at the request of the Sage, had the brothers been allowed to sign their contract. An allowance that would cost the previous Elder of their pack, his life. 

Kasato, Masato’s father...had been murdered by Indra, when he had refused to tell Indra where his brother Ashura had taken Shizuka.

His brother Ashura had taken her in the middle of the night, drugged, because that was the only way Ashura would have stood a chance against the dangerous woman, had married her against her will and had forced her into a union, consummating it as soon as the ceremony was completed.

Indra, after realizing his lover had been abducted, had gone to the pack caves, to the den and demanded the wolves help him find Shizuka. His father, Kasato, had refused, saying there was nothing they could do, that Ashura had already married Shizuka, had consummated their union and had taken her away.

Kasato had been trying to do what he thought was best for Shizuka, but Indra hadn’t understood. Indra had seen it as defiance against his right to the woman, a woman he considered his. To Indra, there could only be Shizuka. To Ashura...he had won, stealing the woman out of his brother’s bed, right under his nose. Neither of the brothers, Kasato thought, understood the woman like her pack did.

Masato shook his head. Neither brother had understood. Neither of them were good enough for the woman. Masato shook himself as their dinner ended. He had a dream a year ago, that she would return to them, not as Shizuka, but as a new woman, with the same face, the same hair and the same beautiful soul, a woman named...Sakura.

The next morning Masato had gone to the great hall of recluse and checked their summoning scroll contract...Shizuka’s blackened name faded before his old weary eyes and a new name had taken form, a name written in blood, bright red, new, fresh, warm blood...Sakura Haruno.

Sakura smiled at Takeo as the younger leaned into her, talking softly to her in her ear. Best friends once more, already...the bonds of time endured. Masato chuckled. His son, Takeo was a loyal one. Almost all wolves were, but his boy had pinned for the girl, had longed for her and had...found another way to be with her...soul transfer is what old man Hagoromo had called it.

Soul transfer...Takeo had split his soul. Half of his soul remained here with them, while the other half...had searched, relentlessly for the woman he adored, for the member of their pack whom he could never have the way he had always longed to have her until...he had found a way to change emotion into energy, love into more than intent...to change chakra nature into life.

‘Love is the most powerful thing in this world, in every world.’ Old man Hagoromo had told him. ‘Love does not hold to the laws of nature, the laws of man or even chakra. It can not be controlled, contained or killed. Love is life and life...can be reborn, over and over endlessly.’

Masato watched the woman and his son. ‘Love is life’, and Takeo loved Shizuka, more than he loved himself, so much that he had broken the known boundaries of time and space, of chakra nature and soul nature to become more than he was, for the one person in the world that meant everything to him, Shizuka.


	42. Ashitoke Hatake, both cursed

Masato watched his son move closer and closer to the woman, his eyes soft, his paws inching over her legs as they sat side by side and sighed. He doubted the boy even realized he was doing it and wondered if the woman knew how close she leaned into his son as they talked, if she saw the knowing eyes of the rest of their pack, if she could feel the pleased and excited energy around them.

By ones and by twos the younger wolves retired to their beds, then one by one the adults left under the appreciative nod of their Elder Wolf. There were things that needed to be said, questions that needed to be answered.

Once they were alone in the great hall, Sakura and Takeo moved closer to the Elder Wolf, joining him by the fire that lit the great cavern.

“You’ve seen the summoning contract.” Masato began without hesitation. “You’ve seen the two names before yours.” She would need to be warned. He cast a glance at his son, had he told her yet, even though he had been warned not to tell her too much at first?

Sakura nodded. She understood what Masato was saying. “I am aware that Indra and Ashura were once part of the pack, as you are aware they have been reincarnated into the clan heads of the Uchiha and the Senju.”

Takeo laid one large paw in Sakura’s lap and the Elder narrowed his eyes, he had told her...something.

“You’ve killed both Zetsu then.” Masato nodded. “Thank kami that darkness is gone from the world. At least, it appears to be...” The Sage of Six Paths...had warned him, Zetsu would not be easily killed, or tracked because he retained no signature, only Sakura would be able to track him...or those like her.

“How do you…” Sakura began, but Masato shook his head, his shaggy mane shaking with the rest of his body.

“You have been gone for many years my daughter, but I have seen you many times. In my dreams.” The Elder’s voice was soft, sad. “I’m sorry Shizuka, that we couldn’t be there for you when...when you needed us most. I have had dreams, of your war, of your heartache.”

“It...how do you...you’re here now, and so am I.” Sakura laid her hand over Takeo’s paw in her lap. Takeo’s whole body had started to tremble at his father’s words.

“Zetsu is gone. Madara is safe from the curse of the hatred.”...and so is Sasuke, she thought to herself, Shisui and Itachi, all of the Uchiha of ‘her’ Konoha. It was almost worth her sacrifice, until she thought of Kakashi and how...she would never see him again. 

“Madara won’t betray the Leaf this time, he won’t leave…” She mumbled to herself. The Konoha she had come from, the Konoha she remembered would be safe...

“History has a way of repeating itself my girl. You know now that you are the reincarnate of Shizuka, a nameless girl who caught the eye of Indra Otsutsuki, and then in turn, his younger brother Ashura Otsutsuki.” Masato began to tell her about her past...a warning.

“I...didn’t know.” Sakura’s eyes went wide, Takeo growled.

“Father.” Takeo narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure it is wise to tell her these things, it is in the past. We know, we can protect her, is that not enough?”

“To understand the future, one must have a full and complete understanding of the past.” Masato told his son sternly, but not without sympathy. “She has a right to know why these two men pursue her Takeo, and what they have done to her in their shared past. It is her right.”

The Elder looked up as Sakura gasped.

“What?” Sakura looked from Takeo’s darkened eyes to Masato’s wise and resigned ones. “No one pursues me, perhaps...Tobirama Senju but…”

Takeo frowned. “You are not compatible with him, nor the other two, curse or no curse, you never belonged in Indra’s bed.” Takeo was losing his patience. Why couldn’t she remember...it would be so much easier if she just...

“Indra’s bed?” Sakura looked back to the Elder Wolf in surprise.

“You were stolen Daughter, from your lover’s bed by his brother.” Masato explained his son’s words more accurately. “Ashura forced you into an unwanted marriage.” He did not wish to go into further detail, and by her reaction, or lack of...his son had already let some of it slip.

“He picked a time he knew the pack would be occupied, we knew nothing of it until we returned from our journey to the Land of Rice, but by then it was too late, you were already married, the marriage already consummate and Indra...already banging on our door demanding our assistance to get you back, back from his brother.” Takeo added.

“Ashura? ...but Ashura was...history tells us that Ashura was the light, he was the sun, the joy and the hope for the future while Indra was struggle, arrogance and cursed. Why would…” She didn’t understand the Elder realized.

“Why do you assume that only Indra was cursed? They were brothers, they were both sons of the Sage of Six Paths, they were both cursed.” Masato cocked his head to the side as he looked at her. “Did you not know?”

“Ashura was...also cursed?” Sakura was confused. No one, not even the reanimated Shodaime had said anything about…”Then is...Hashirama...cursed now, like Madara was?”

“We don’t know.” Takeo answered her question before his father was able to. “We don’t think the will of the mother can be passed onto the reincarnations, but we do not know for sure. Ashura’s reincarnation...might have the curse of Kaguya’s will.”

“The mother, you mean. Oh no…” Sakura recalled Kaguya, the reason the entire world of her time had been turned upside down...and grit her teeth in anger.

“It was one of Hagoromo’s greatest fears, the possibility that it could and would be passed to generation after generation of his descendants. Zetsu remains inside its host, sinks into the flesh, into the soul.” Masato’s voice was sad, laced with his own regret at having failed to rid their world of Zetsu’s darkness. “Once we realized what the mother had done...it had been too late. Zetsu had already attached itself to Indra and Ashura.”

“You...knew.” Sakura stood up and began to pace back and forth. “You knew that both of them were infected by that disgusting parasite and what...did nothing?” 

She was angry, he understood...she had every right to be angry. He was angry too, but her anger was misplaced. “Don’t you think we tried to kill him? Do you think we, the blessed ones of the Sage, would sit back and let that demon reek his selfish hate on our world?” Masato demanded. “That thing is the reason you were ripped from us, the reason Ashura pursued you relentlessly...the reason my son…” Masato sighed. She would understand...once Takeo explained his part in their shared past more.

“No.” Sakura ran her fingers through her hair. “Forgive me. I just...I have lost so much because...because of the selfishness of that...thing, he...my…”

“You have dreams too do you not? You dream of now and you dream of then. You dream of Indra’s reincarnation, you are connected in a way no one else is because you did love him, once.” Masato watched her twitch under his observance. “Haven’t you.”

“You were the one thing that kept the poison at bay. While both fo the brothers vied for your affection, Zetsu held no control over them, but when you chose Indra over Ashura...Ashura became enraged...desperate and stole you away under the influence of Zetsu and separated the clans, over time they separated again, and again into the shinobi clans of your time” Masato explained.

“We broke Ashura’s contract with us of course and when...Indra killed my father for refusing to aid him in getting you back, we canceled his contract with us as well.” Masato told her. “...but your connection to Indra remains.”

“Indra killed your father?” Sakura covered her mouth with her hands. There was a history here, so much history that she was ignorant of…

Masato nodded slowly as he watched Sakura take in his words and their meaning. “My father refused to assist Indra, because he knew it would only cause more bloodshed. He knew you would not wish to risk the pack selfishly. We tried to tell him...that you were already gone, that your body as Shizuka was no more.””

“...but how did Ashura um...if I was in a relationship with Indra...this feels so odd to say, how did he force me to marry him?” She didn’t understand how something could be possible.

“He drugged you with his wood style jutsu.” Takeo said flatly. “Otherwise…” Takeo smirked, his lip curling back from his teeth on his right side. “Otherwise, he never would have been able to force you into his bed. You would have slaughtered him.”

“He drugged me with his...wood style jutsu…” Sakura’s eyes went wide...wood style jutsu…”Hashirama…” Sakura growled. He had poisoned her...but why...with Madara there in her bed…

“History repeats itself huh?” Sakura looked from Takeo to his father. “Not this time it doesn’t.”

“What did he do Sakura, you told me he didn’t touch you.” Takeo growled.

“I didn’t know he could use his wood style jutsu to drug me until now and I don’t know if he touched me or not, I don’t think he did but now that I know he can use his jutsu for such things, I will be much more wary around him to ensure he doesn’t.” She said flatly.

“Make sure that you are.” The Elder Wolf nodded in approval, his white eyes falling over his son. “I suppose you two have some catching up to do?”

Takeo looked at the ground...he understood. His father thought he should confess to Sakura and explain his connection to...her. He didn’t even know how to even begin to explain...what he had done for her, much less why he had done it.

“Yes Father.” Takeo wouldn’t meet his father’s eyes but nodded in understanding that it was not advice but a command. “I will explain it to her.”

“Explain what to me?” Sakura looked at Takeo who was still looking down at the ground.

“I’ll give you two some privacy, goodnight my dear, welcome home. See you in the morning.” Masato gave his son one last stern look before leaving the great hall for his own chambers.

Sakura waited until Masato had disappeared around the corner and turned to look up at Takeo. “Is everything okay Takeo?”

“Let’s go to our rooms.” Takeo said gruffly and rose to his feet, waited for her to get up, and nudged his head under her arm. They walked back to his room side by side.

He wouldn’t meet her eyes and again, Sakura was reminded of Kakashi when she had come home from a mission once to find her rice cooker dismantled on her kitchen counter, him standing behind it, his hands shoved in his pockets saying…’I tried to fix it’, his eyes on his feet.

Once inside his room, he led her to his bed, and sat down beside her. Sakura waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts and his courage to speak as she looked around his room. It was a small room, as large as hers, with a chest on the far wall, like her room, only his bed was larger, messier and not as clean as hers.

She noticed a blanket balled up in the corner of the wall where his bed rested and pulled it over to herself. It was an old blanket, worn along the edges...and more than slightly familiar to her. “Takeo?”

He was watching her finger the edges of the blanket. “It was yours. I took it from your bed the morning I...realized you were gone.” He swallowed.

“I had a blanket, like this one...in my apartment.” She looked up at her friend. “I’m sure Kakashi took it, after I left. It was his favorite blanket and he said it…” Her voice cracked.

“Smelled like you, and that he liked sleeping with it because it felt like he was sleeping with you?” Takeo asked her.

“Yea, when I would go on missions he would...sleep with it if he didn’t go with me on my mission. I would always come back to the village and have to get it from him when I got back.” Sakura turned the blanket over in her hand. “It was the only thing I had ever made by hand.”

“You made this one too.” Takeo laid his head on the corner of her leg. “It doesn’t smell like you anymore, but I still sleep with it because...I couldn’t let you go.”

“Shizuka, I did something...uh that I didn’t even know I could do but...it worked and uh…” Takeo refused to lift his head to look her in the eye. “We have incredibly strong life forces you know so I…so do you, being who you are but...”

“What did you do?” Sakura asked curiously, he was stalling, she could tell. He was nervous too. Sakura patted his paw for encouragement.

“I missed you so much. I, we mate for life and you were, we hadn’t but...after you left I realized that I...loved you.” He said quietly. “...but you’re a human and I am not.”

“Right, you’re my summons.” Sakura said patiently, trying to understand what he was trying to say to her.

“I am your family and you are mine.” Takeo said impatiently. He huffed and lifted his head to look her in the eye. “I tried to find you but it was pointless, the Elder told me you were...gone, reincarnated. You laid down to bed and your body disappeared, your soul vanished, I couldn’t smell you anywhere you just...left me…” There was panic in his voice.

“Father said you would come back one day, that your reincarnated soul would return but I couldn’t wait that long, I didn’t want to wait that long, after waiting so many years after your disappearance I...” He glared down at her. He knew it wasn’t her fault but…”...and even when you came back, I would...still be a wolf and you would still be a human.”

Sakura didn’t understand what he was trying to say to her. He was a wolf and she was a human...what did he mean still? “Takeo, I’m not sure what you’re trying to say to me.”

“I’m telling you I love you.” He said quickly, paused, then added. “...but I knew we could never be together like that, then...now as we are, so…” He took a deep breath.

“I used my life force to split my soul into two halves of the whole. Half remained with me here in this form and the other half...found you, in the future.” Takeo watched her eyes go round. “As a human.”

“As a human.” She repeated his words, her fingers unconsciously playing with the ends of the blanket in her hand.

Takeo nodded.

Sakura frowned. “You...became human to...be with me?”

Takeo nodded. He could see her piecing the thoughts together one by one in her head.

“You said in my time that there were only a few wolves left.” She looked at him for confirmation and he nodded. “Pakkun said you had been looking for me, had given the contract scroll to Pakkun to give to Kakashi who would…”

Sakura gasped. “You...you knew and then that was, you’re Pakkun!” Sakura clapped her hands over her mouth.

“What? No! I’m not that ugly little runt!” Takeo was disgusted. “I’m Kakashi!” He snapped.

“What?” Her voice was low...measured and...unconvinced.

“I...had to find a compatible soul, a strong soul who would accept me, mine.” He explained to her. “The Hatake clan has always signed summoning contracts with the ninkin, dogs. A Hatake is the only one my spirit was compatible with and um...there was a bit of precedent for it.”

“Precedent?” Sakura asked, as she chewed her lower lip.

“Shizuka may have been stolen from Indra’s bed by his brother Ashura, but Indra wasn’t your only lover...you loved a man named Ashitoke. Ashitoke Hatake, before you were Indra’s lover.” Takeo told her, his paws twitched and his eyes slid to the side.

“Indra killed him...after he saw you and Ashitoke embracing in the forest, he became enraged with jealousy. He had planned on pursuing you himself, unaware of your previous attachment...you never knew.” Takeo explained. 

“You turned to Indra for comfort and he...comforted you.” Takeo growled.

“I told you, tried to warn you but...you didn’t believe me because I had...never liked Indra, because...I loved you too.” He said quietly. “...but I was a wolf and we could never be together so…”

“So you divided your soul in two and stalked me through time?” Sakura frowned. “You found a descendant of the man I loved and impressed your soul into him without his permission?”

“Who said I didn’t get Hatake’s permission?” He demanded hotly. “I had his permission!”

“He would have told me!” Sakura rose to her feet, her hands on her hips. “Kakashi never kept things from me!” She glared at Takeo who had also risen to his feet and was giving her eye for eye.

“Did he tell you he is dying? That every time he comes to see you he dies a little more and that the next time he sees you will be the last?” Takeo demanded. “He is killing himself to speak to you, to touch you one last time and it isn’t all him! Part of that desire is mine! I see nothing wrong with picking a man who already had the predisposition to love you, to desire you and to take care of you...to add my soul to, with his permission making us the perfect man for you!” He said hotly, nose to nose with the woman before him.

“It wasn’t your choice! It was ours!” Takeo added smugly, pushing her back up against the wall of the room with his nose. “...because we love you and will do anything to show you how much we love you!”

“Kakashi is dying?” She knew he had done something reckless.

“He does not want to live without you.” Takeo lowered his voice, the heat of the moment passing. “He knew you had returned to me, to us.”

Her head snapped up. “Us?”

Takeo gave her an odd look. “You don’t think we would abandon you do you? It took so long to find you. I’ve already joined with his soul once, I will do it again. Kakashi’s grandfather is here now, in this time. Kakashi’s soul will join him with my other half.” He watched her. “You didn't think he would ever willingly let you go did you?”

“Kakashi’s grandfather?” Sakura was trying to understand, but this was...but I don’t even know him!” She protested, her head spinning.

Takeo shrugged. “You’ll get to know him soon enough.”

“If you expect me to just fall in love with this...guy because he is Kakashi’s…” She paused.

“No one expects anything from you Sakura. You owe us nothing. We do not expect anything from you.” Takeo said again. “We love you, you do not have to love us.”

“...but you just said.” She stuttered. The lengths they had gone to for her, Takeo and Kakashi just to stand beside her once more and to give her the choice to either embrace them or reject them was...

“I told you the truth, because you deserved to know. Your Kakashi’s soul, and mine are fixed. We will be linked for all eternity in this life and the next. It was our choice to do this, not yours and you did not force us to do this for you. You didn’t even know about it until now.” Takeo chuckled.

“We were friends first, were we not?” he asked her and she nodded. “We became family didn’t we?” He continued.

“Yes.” Sakura nodded.

“The same with you and your Kakashi if I am not mistaken?” He knew he wasn’t. Pakkun had told him.

“Yes.” Sakura nodded again.

“There are different kinds of love Sakura. Kakashi’s love for you was one kind, and mine was another. You loved Kakashi, Pakkun told me. You don’t remember now but you will maybe...you loved me too and I still love you.” Takeo ducked his head and laid down at her feet.

‘Love is timeless, love endures.’ Kakashi had told her once...damn that man, he was always right...


	43. Water, cave...a Madara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NM

Takeo remained silent at Sakura’s feet. He had said a lot. She had asked very little. Not much more needed to be said...much more would be asked once she had more time to think over his words, to reach inside herself...to remember who she was. He could feel her energy, it moved along the wall, to the floor, making his whiskers twitch. Her heart was...restless, torn and confused. He sighed. All the things he had said, had needed to be said and yet, he felt guilty.

“Shizuka…” He began, but paused when her head snapped up and her eyes turned hard.

“My name is Sakura.” She told him, her tone even, measured and...loosely controlled. This was affecting her much more deeply than she wanted him to know he realized...of course it was...she would need time.

“Sakura...you’ll need time alone, you’ll want to think things over I’m sure. I’ll go.” Takeo rose to his feet and bowed his head.

“This is your room. I’ll leave.” ...again, that tone.

Before he could protest, she was already through the door. He watched the hem of her pant leg disappear around the corner and sighed a deep frustrated sigh...she was angry...of course she was...who wouldn’t be angry. Takeo laid down on his bed, his head on his paws and closed his eyes. He wouldn’t sleep tonight...her energy was too troubled, too erratic and too...threatening.

**The water rushed over the side of the cliff and fell over the mouth of the cave. Sakura stood motionless, the mist rising up around her wetting her skin with dew. She didn’t know what to believe. Like most things since she had woken up alone in this time, Takeo’s words seemed so surreal to her, that it was difficult to believe anything that she didn’t see with her own eyes.**

**Takeo believed everything he had told her. She hadn’t felt the deceit that is usually felt when lies are told, his intent was honest, as honest as his words.**

**...but just because you believed something to be true, didn’t make it true.**

**Takeo said Indra killed the old Elder Wolf, Masato’s father. She believed that. There had been witnesses.**

**It was something Sasuke would have done, but she couldn’t see Madara killing pointlessly, not now, not in the absence of Black Zetsu. Madara really had changed. She truly believed he was free of the curse of the hatred, she had seen the change in his with her own eyes, both in person and in her dreams.**

**Takeo had told her she had fallen in love with one of Kakashi’s first relatives. She wasn’t sure she believed that. She knew she loved Kakashi and she would admit to her attraction to Madara, the reincarnation of Indra and to Sasuke, another one of Indra’s reincarnations but...she was not convinced she had been in love with Indra. Madara, she could see with her own eyes. Sasuke, she had grown up with. Indra...was a folklore legend of an era that only existed in fairytales to her.**

**Besides, she thought to herself, she would hate to think she loved someone just because they reminded her of someone else, reincarnation or not.**

**Sakura reached out and let the water fall over her hand, watched as the water ran down her fingers, her forearm and fell to the floor of the cave from her elbow.**

**Takeo had gotten angry when she had innocently inquired about Ashura’s name on the summoning scroll contract, had asked her if he had touched her, had bared his teeth at the very thought of the man still being alive.**

**Sakura wiped her arm on her sleeve and sat down on the low rising rocks to the left of the cave entrance and sighed. She had suspected Hashirama had been the cause of her sudden illness that day in the garden but hadn’t wanted to believe it. After Takeo had explained her shared past with the Otsutsuki brothers and had told her how Ashura was able to take her from his brother Indra...she was sure he had deliberately tried to poison her...but why?**

**One was not the other, their motive might differ...**

**This reincarnation hadn’t shown her any form of hostility. He had tried to kiss her once but...that had been innocent she thought, a misunderstanding and wasn’t Naruto Hashirama’s reincarnation? Naruto didn’t have a mean bone in his goofy smiling, sun filled body. Perhaps the wolves were wrong about Ashura?**

**...she couldn’t deny how she had lost consciousness in her garden, with only Hashirama as witness, as suspect though. Takeo said he had stolen her from Indra’s bed and had forced her to marry him, but all of the information Takeo relayed to her had been second hand. Presumably, he loved her but she didn’t love him. Sakura thought that more likely. She loved Naruto but not romantically, he was her best friend, but not her lover.**

**Sakura remembered the Leaf of her time and all the secrets it had held, all the things no one had known about, all of the lies and all of the deceit. Things were not always as they appeared, isn’t that what Madara had told her in one of their dreams, or had he said that to her in person...she couldn’t recall.**

**“Kakashi.” His name left her lips in a whisper. Anbu Captain, child soldier and survivor of the Third Shinobi War...no, things were not always as they seemed.**

**He was dying, willfully to be with her again? Sakura shook her head...she still wasn’t sure if she understood that part of Takeo’s tale correctly. How did he split his soul with his will...was that even possible, and to move through time over and over looking for her reincarnation, looking for another singular compatible soul to become one with to see her again was just…**

**“Impossible.” She shook her head. “Ridiculous.” She scoffed.**

**“I’ll believe it when I see it.” She rose from her rock and stepped over the side of the cliff.**

Takeo felt the shift in her energy and knew Sakura was awake. He lifted his head when her shadow darkened his door.

“I’m going for a walk Takeo. I have some things to think about.” She let her hand slide down the edge of the doorframe, her fingers trailing over the cracks as she walked down the hall and away. Before he could protest...she was gone, like smoke in the wind.

“A walk.” Takeo’s shoulders slumped. Sakura, had left the wilds.

Madara was restless and couldn’t sleep. He had risen from his bed twice now after laying down, to look out into the night that surrounded his home. It was a clear, peaceful night but Madara could find no peace without Sakura there...where she belonged in her home, in their village. She was gone and he couldn’t suppress this overwhelming fear that...this had happened before.

He rose without intending to, dressed slowly, pulling his weapons scroll from the rack on his desk as he left his room and walked down the deserted Uchiha main house halls to the front door. Something wasn’t right. The air felt wrong. There was a heaviness in his heart that he couldn’t explain...shutting the front door behind him, he moved into the forest and away from the village to the cave that he went to sometimes with her in their dreams...so that he didn’t feel quite as, alone.

The closer he moved to the cave, the better he felt. Too many times in his dreams he had come here looking for her. Sometimes she was there and sometimes she wasn’t. Their bond had grown over the last few weeks as they continued to meet in their sleep. 

In their waking hours, she had grown more accustomed to his touch, to his presence so much in fact she didn’t move away when he placed his hands on her shoulders now. She didn’t look up at him with questioning eyes when he stood...just a little too close to her than was socially acceptable. She leaned into him subconsciously, sought him out unwittingly in a crowd and her eyes had begun to follow him he had noticed in the last week as they had grown more and more physically familiar with one another at night through their shared connection.

Sakura had become so much more to him than when he had first laid eyes on her. He had come to know her as a person, as a kunoichi as a woman...who was so much more than the Tennyo he had originally thought her to be.

Sometimes, when she would be working late into the night at the hospital, he would dream of her, without her. It was the most unusual feeling. He would see the same young man in robes of white, the one he had seen before with the boy in similar robes with brown hair. Ashura and Indra.

Sakura had told him he was the reincarnation of Indra and that Hashirama was the reincarnation of Ashura. Brothers...the two sons of the Sage of Six Paths. The Sage that had chosen Ashura as his heir. The event that had thrown Indra, him, into darkness while under the influence of that thing, of Black Zetsu…

...but in one of his dreams, his last dream, he had seen a woman with pink hair and green eyes. 

_A beautiful woman was in the forest, her hands patting her hair down, her breath quick as though she had been running. He had been resting above her in a tree, and watched. It was Sakura and yet...it wasn’t Sakura. The woman’s eyes were a bit lighter, her chin a bit narrower and her pink hair, a much darker pink._

_Madara had continued to watch the woman as they waited, for it had become clear she was here in this specific spot to meet a specific someone. The woman lifted her head, took several steps forward, her face shining with joy at a man who stepped out of the dense woods just beyond the rise and into view._

_At first, Madara had thought the man to be Tobirama, but the man that walked quickly toward the woman was much more lanky, lithe but no less tall. The two lovers, for they couldn’t possibly have been any less than lovers, embraced and fell to their knees, mouths meeting hungrily, hands moving quickly peeling shirt and belt from one another until they lay in a pile of their clothing, joined at the waist in ecstasy._

_He should have looked away, it was indecent for him to watch and yet...he couldn’t. He wasn’t really there… The woman was beautiful, her body exquisite and the noises she was making under her lover’s hands were so…_

_...eventually they lay still, hands clasped to one another’s chest, the woman lay over her lover, the sheen of sweat glistened along every curve of her vivacious body accentuated by the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Her partner just as spent, lay still, holding her to his own rapidly rising and falling chest, one hand combing gently through her hair over and over._

_Madara waited for them to dress and leave before hopping down from the tree. He looked down at the flattened grass on the forest floor and wondered what Sakura would look like, spread out naked for him like the woman had been for her lover...when he heard the snapping of a twig behind him._

_He turned and almost, took a step back. The same young man from his previous dreams...Indra, stood against the tree Madara had been sitting in, looking down at the flattened grass like Madara had been looking. Their eyes met...a connection was made…_

_“Don’t make the same petty mistakes I made. If she comes to you this time, protect her from Ashura, his understanding and compliance...should not be assumed.” Indra told him, bowed lightly and faded away._

_Madara looked back down at the ground, leaned over from the waist and picked up a wide dark blue ribbon that had been forgotten...crushed under the weight of the two lovers, into the grass._

With his Tennyo in mind, Madara pushed his legs over the two miles just outside the village walls to the cliffside waterfall, where he and Sakura liked to meet in their dreams. With chakra infused feet, he walked up the side of the cliff beside the waterfall, pausing just inside the cave mouth.

He hadn’t felt her chakra signature, he hadn’t known Tobirama had been teaching her how to further lower her signature so that it was undetectable with the seal her friend Naruto had placed on her before his bastard relative had cast her back in time. He hadn’t been expecting to see her here. She was supposed to be with her new summons...

She was standing in the mouth of the cave, turned away from him. Her hair was loose and flowing down the length of her back, her shoulders were bare and her eyes were closed. He could see the tears glistening on her cheeks in the moonlight that shone through the spill of the water behind her.

He must have made some small movement, or maybe his heart was beating as loudly in his chest as he feared, but she turned to face him, her green eyes glittering in the reflecting, moving rush, of the waterfall beside her.

“Am I dreaming?” Her voice shook as she took a step toward him. “You’re here and yet I know I’m awake. I see you in my dreams and wonder...do you kiss as well in reality as you do in my...”

Madara moved to her taking her in his arms, his mouth crashing over hers, with the brutal force of unrequited longing.

“Madara wait…” Sakura pulled away from him. “This is...we can’t. This is real...”

Madara didn’t want to let her go but...slowly he let his hands trail down the side of her body, and drop to his own sides, his fingers twitching to hold her again.

Sakura stood before him, her fingertips pressed against her lips where he had just kissed her. Her eyes were wide and her shoulders trembled slightly...she was so beautiful, Madara took a step toward her.

She didn’t move, she let him come, her eyes closing as his hand rose to touch her cheek. “I had a dream about you, another you.” His voice was soft.

“Another me?” She whispered against his lips as he pressed them gently against hers. She could feel the heat of his body in sharp contrast to the cool mist that continually floated around them...steam her mind wildly supplied the vision of their naked bodies withering together on the cave floor, steaming in the cool air of the cave...only it wasn’t Madara under her, on top of her, inside of her it was…

”Indra.” Sakura’s eyes flickered open to stare into the red spinning tomes of the sharingan.

“I had a dream…” Madara spoke again. “You said I was the reincarnation of Indra Otsutsuki, one of two sons of the Sage of Six Paths. I didn’t believe you, how could I and yet...I had dreamt of them too, one boy with dark black hair, the other with brown...and I dreamt of you in the woods.”

He was watching her with those red eyes of his, looking for a reaction from her...wondering if she...knew? 

Did he know…

“He spoke to me, Indra. He told me…

“Don’t make the same petty mistakes I made. If she comes to you this time, protect her from Ashura, his understanding and compliance...should not be assumed.” . 

He saw it in her eyes before she took her next breath...acknowledgement and vindication. “What do you know, Sakura?” 

Madara pulled her closer to him and wrapped both of his arms around her shoulders, one hand reaching up her back and into her hair. “Tell me about us, about our shared past.”

Sakura laid her head against his chest, like she had done so many times before, and moved into his embrace. “I doubt I know much more than you. I can’t remember and it makes it difficult for me to tell what is real and what is, speculation.”

Madara nodded, his long spiky locks tickling her cheek. “He told me to protect you this time if you came to me, from Ashura, from...Hashirama. You told me before, that Hashirama is the reincarnation of Ashura Otsutsuki, did you not?”

“I did.” She nodded. “Do you know why Indra told you I need protecting from him?” She asked, moving back to look into his eyes again.

“No, but…” He hesitated too long. Sakura’s eyes narrowed.

“...but what Madara...what do you know?” It was her turn to ask him what he knew, because clearly, he knew...something.

“Come.” He pulled her down onto the ground and pulled her up onto his lap like he had done a thousand times in their dreams. “First, I need to explain something to you. I should have told you sooner only...I was worried you would break our connection. I was selfish but...I see now I should have told you the moment I realized, that you weren’t aware, as I was aware.”

“I don’t remember being Indra. I do not know what happened between him and his brother Ashura, but he told me, not to repeat his petty mistakes.” Madara took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure how she would react.

“The dreams you have been having of me, us. I have been having them too. The same dreams.” He licked his lips nervously. “When you dream, so do I.”

“The same dream?” Sakura’s face flushed. “When we, when I…”

“How come you didn’t tell me and how is that even possible?” She stuttered. “So, when I dreamt that you, that you and I were uh, that we, when we…”

Madara nodded, a small smile touching the corner of his mouth. “I was there, with you, kissing you, touching you, loving you.”

Sakura’s mouth dropped open. “...but, how?” 

Her mind was racing. Was it Zetsu, who had been part of both of their souls, even if the thing had been inside of her for only a short period of time...was it long enough to, to...or was it like Takeo and Kakashi said, love is timeless...was what Takeo told her true, was Indra...Madara, her, did they...but then if that was true so was…

“Did Indra kill Ashitoke?” Sakura asked, pushing herself away from Madara and moving to sit beside him instead of in his lap.

“Who is Ashitoke?” Madara was genuinely confused, she could see it in his eyes, there was not ill intent there.

“My summons, Takeo, told me...that Indra Otsutsuki killed Ashitoke Hatake, out of jealousy.” She explained, her hand waving through the air dismissing it. Madara didn’t know, it wasn’t important. She wasn’t about to explain Kakashi and Ashitoke, and Hajime Hatake to him, not now...or ever. It had nothing to do with him, not really. Madara was not Indra, just like she was not Shizuka and...Hashirama was not Ashura.

They may be their reincarnations but...Sakura would be damned if she would let their combined pasts dictate all of their futures. Takeo had told her she had a choice, well...she was making her choice now. 

She chose to make up her own mind, using the information of the past and weighing it against the information she had now and against the information she had of the future.

She, was Sakura Haruno, the apprentice of the Fifth Hokage Tsunade Senju, the best medic nin in the world, the only medic aside from Tsunade who could fight on the front lines, a survivor of the Fourth Shinobi War. She was not Shizuka...she was Sakura.

All this talk of reincarnations made her head hurt.

“It doesn’t matter who we were, what matters is who we are now.” Sakura kissed the side of Madara’s mouth tentatively. Testing the feel, the pull of his presence and the look in his eyes as he moved closer to her.

“...and the dreams?” He asked her. 

Sakura shook her head. “Just dreams, we didn’t know what we were doing. No one has control over their dreams.” She kissed him again.

Madara opened his mouth to speak further but she pressed her fingers to his mouth.

“I’m not dreaming now.” She told him.

“...but I feel like I am.” He said softly against her fingers.

“If I fall asleep, will you be here when I wake?” She removed her fingers from his mouth and replaced them with her tongue.

“There’s only one way to find out.” He stroked her cheek with one hand, his fingers curling around her chin, tipping her head back. His eyes held hers.

“...and Tobirama? You and he are...I thought that…” He asked, he didn’t want to say the words.

“We are just friends. I have made that very clear to him.” She assured him.

“Do you kiss all of your friends like this Sakura?” He inquired.

Madara pulled the woman back on his lap and pulled her head back by her hair, trailing kisses and bites down the side of her neck as he spoke between his teeth.

“I have kissed Tobirama...but… Not like this.” She gasped as he pulled the belt from her waist.

“I was told we were lovers once.” She gasped as his hands tugged on the end of her chest wraps. “You and I.”

“I was told you had another lover.” He pushed the image of the white haired man, who could only have been a Hatake, from his mind as her chest wrapps fell around his wrist.

“I was told you killed him, then offered me comfort for my loss.” Sakura pulled away from him.

“Not I, him...not you, her.” Madara pushed her onto her back and climbed on top of her, pulling her shirt off over her head, her hair fanning out under his hand..

“The sins of our past…” Sakura arched her back as his mouth kissed it’s way down her tummy.

“Stay in the past.” Madara pulled on the ties of her pants.

“...and these sins, now, here?” She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip, his fingers were so…

“Have yet to be committed.” Madara looked up to meet her eyes but found them closed. “Open your eyes, Love. I want to see the look of you when I touch you. I want you to know it is me who touches you and no one else.”

She wanted to close her eyes, to throw her head back and gasp as his fingers entered her, twisted and curled, but she held his gaze...his tomes spinning and rotating with the heat and the passion she hadn’t known she had been missing.


	44. Uzumaki struggles, a Nara and the Yamanaka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NM
> 
> If only Madara truly understood Hashirama...

“Where were you?” Izuna asked his brother after he had shut the front door of their shared home behind him just as the sun was rising in the East. 

“It is a new day, were you gone all night?” Izuna looked at his brother suspiciously, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Were you alone?”

Izuna followed his brother into the main room and sat down beside him, as he pulled the breakfast tray the maid’s had set on the table for them, toward him.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk.” Madara chewed a bit of fried fish, leaned forward for his bowl of rice and ignored the curious looks of his younger brother. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

Izuna nodded, his eyes still on his brother. “Of course.” He picked up his bowl of rice and one of the small fried fish from the platter. “Two more clans have requested to visit the village.”

“Who?” Madara asked, setting his rice bowl down and picking up his tea.

“The Nara and the Yamanaka clan. If they decide to join, the Akamichi will follow.” Izuna ate his food slowly, thinking. “Sakura would be pleased if the Nara join the village, she uses their deer antlers in many of her medicines, particularly her soldier pills.”

“Hn.” Madara agreed. “They are clever too, and the Yamanaka have a useful kekkei genkai, we could use two such clans here.” 

“Have you decided what to name the village yet brother? Hashirama refuses to name it, claiming he is bad at such things and Tobirama…” Izuna rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t have a creative bone in his body.” 

“Yes, I have a name.” Madara thought back to a few hours prior when Sakura had been laying naked in his arms, telling him about their village, of the future and some of the things that had happened, both good and bad, humorous and sad.

“Well?” Izuna asked impatiently, his brother seemed distracted. He had thought with Sakura gone, they might be able to concentrate and focus on their work more...but perhaps not. He hadn’t been able to sleep very well last night either...not knowing where she was or how she was doing. Sometimes, new summons could be dangerous. He hoped she was okay.

“Hum? Oh, uh I’ll tell you later, with the others, only fair.” Madara muttered. His eyes moved to the window. Sakura was moving through the woods, she had promised not to mask her chakra fully and he could feel her very faint signature moving south along the uninhabited part of the river. If he felt her, he knew Tobirama could feel her, and Hashirama as well.

“Right.” Izuna gave his brother an odd look. “I need to get going. That white haired bastard and I are going through the newly built academy together today. We need to determine what classes should be taught, how they should be taught and who should teach them. He’s probably already there waiting for me.” 

Izuna paused by the front door and turned back to his brother who was still turned toward the window. “Do you think Sakura would teach a class on medical jutsu if we asked her to?”

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask her but I think she might, if she has time.” Madara set his tea cup down and picked his bowl of rice up again. “The hospital keeps her fairly busy and I think she wanted to take a mission or two once in a while.”

“She does?” Izuna frowned. He didn’t like that idea...she hadn’t told him she had wanted to take a mission...they had gotten closer, talked much more than they used to. He thought they had become rather good friends but this was the first he had heard of her wanting any missions. “Are you sure?”

“Hum? Oh yes, she told me uh, yesterday before she left the village.” Madara smiled to himself. She had told him two hours ago, while they had dressed in the cave after spending the night together. “She didn’t know about the Nara and the Yamanaka then though. The more clans that join us, the busier she will be. She might not have time for missions and it might not be in our best interest to send her, her being the only healer of her caliber.”

“Ah. True.” Izuna watched his brother. “Well, I’ll mention it to the Senju then. Perhaps she could take on an apprentice...” Izuna liked that idea, the more healers they had like Sakura, the more successful their village would be. An apprentice could teach the academy classes and leave Sakura free to help in the hospital more or go on specialty missions that would bring in more money for their ever growing village.

“Very good.” Madara set his bowl down, rising from his seat. “I should meet with Hashirama to go over the Nara and the Yamanaka request. Set a date and an itinerary for them with him to give them the attention they deserve.”

Izuna nodded, turned back to the door and slid it open. “See you this afternoon brother, perhaps for lunch?”

“Yes, lunch.” Madara waved to Izuna and walked down the hall to his rooms as Izuna shut the front door behind him.

Madara removed his shirt and pants, laying them down on his bed to pull fresh clothes from his dresser. He lifted the shirt he had been wearing in the cave to his nose and sniffed it lightly, then more heavily as Sakura’s scent filled his head. He closed his eyes. He could almost taste her…

They hadn’t made love but they had...explored one another, taking their time learning one another’s bodies, outside of their shared dreamverse. Madara set his shirt back down on his bed, he could feel his arousal growing most uncomfortably and he did have things to do that day.

Madara finished dressing quickly, pushing Sakura from his mind as best he could, and walked out the front door of his and Izuna’s house, heading toward the center of the village, toward the tower.

Pink hair floated on the surface of the water around her head and fell down into the river below as it was pulled and pushed with the current that swirled around her. She had woken up that morning in the arms of Madara Uchiha, his warm soft spiky locks mingled with her silky smooth pastel pink ones on the floor of the cave behind the waterfall. She couldn’t recall the last time she had slept so well and had woken up so refreshed.

...not since Kakashi, over a year ago now, in her own time.

It was time to stop living in the past...or the future, as she had told Madara last night when he had found her in her cave. She hadn’t been as surprised to see him as she supposed she ought to have been, in the middle of the night...when she was supposed to be with her new summons. It was comforting, natural and...she blushed, exactly what she had wanted and needed at the time.

Madara was different from the other men in her life. He didn’t demand anything from her, expect anything from her. If she were to be as intimate as she had been with Madara...with Tobirama, he would expect to marry her. The same with Izuna she was sure. 

She held no such interest in Hashirama, never had, even before the wolves had put that thought of wariness in her head, before the incident in her garden. To her, Hashirama, was Naruto and she just didn’t see him like that...even if his darker ‘quirks’, were very un-Naruto like.

Madara, was a friend and a...well, she wasn’t exactly sure what Madara was to her or her to him but she liked his touch and didn’t want him to stop touching her. They had dressed and gone their separate ways. He had made no move to confine her, claim her or place any expectations on her. He had simply smoothed her hair down along her back, hugged her, kissed her...told her how special their night together had been and wished her well with her new summons.

He hadn’t asked when she would be back, what this meant for their friendship, what last night ‘made them’, no, none of that. A kiss, a hug and well wishes were what he had given, what he had offered her and she was grateful. She doubted Tobirama or Izuna would have been as...understanding, or as confident as Madara had been.

Sakura smiled, then giggled to herself, water rushing over her chest as her giggling disrupted the surface water around her.

Madara Uchiha...the cause of the Fourth Shinobi War...Madara Uchiha...the man who had been so desperate and so lonely that he had allowed himself to be manipulated into believing that the Infinite Tsukuyomi would ‘save’ the world, that he would be the one to end all of their suffering…

Madara Uchiha whom she couldn’t...for the life of her, get the picture of his half hooded eyes as they looked up at her from the ground...her body moving over his in wanton lust...out of her head. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel his hands on her, his mouth, his heat.

Sakura sighed again. “Madara.” His name left her lips...as the current carried her south along the feed current.

Tobirama stood on the steps of the main academy building, his notebook in his right hand while he wrote his notes with his left. He could feel Izuna heading toward him and jotted a few more notes down before he arrived. He could also feel Sakura’s chakra signature and wondered what she was doing, he would have expected her to remain with her summons for another two days and hoped all was well with her.

He knew he need not worry, she was capable of protecting herself and handling any summons she might take but...he did wonder why she had spent the morning in the river and wondered why Madara Uchiha had been in the area when she had appeared. Briefly, he wondered if they had spent the night together, but dismissed the thought...her chakra signature hadn’t appeared until after the Uchiha had already left her area.

...it was just a coincidence...only, Tobirama didn’t usually believe in coincidences. Was he being…

“Good morning Senju.” Izuna came up behind him pulling him from his thoughts.

“Morning.” Tobirama inclined his head. “Let’s get started.”

“Right, that’s why I’m here.” Izuna smiled casually and followed the Senju into the academy.

Hashirama was behind his desk in the tower when Madara entered the office. Madara sat down at his desk, opposite Hashirama and picked up the missives from the Nara and the Yamanaka.

“I knew you would wish to see them as soon as you got here.” Hashirama nodded to the visitation requests Madara held in his hand. “It seems the merchants from the Land of Eddies have spread the word across the entire Land of Fire.”

“As was your plan when telling Mito about our village. Have you heard from her lately?” Madara asked.

“Yes, it seems there is unrest with several smaller clans close to her village. Ashina Uzumaki fears an attack. I wanted to speak with you before I made a decision. We are engaged and her people are entitled to any protection I have to give but…”

“...but it would mean throwing Konoha into war before it has fully been established.” Madara understood. “It may prevent clans like the Nara and the Yamanaka from joining us if they think we are building this village with the intent of over running the smaller clans for power.”

Hashirama nodded. Yes, it was that but also...if the smaller clans that surrounded the Land of Eddies...overtook the land and Mito was safe and sound along with her money in Konoha…”So, you’ve settled on the name have you? Konohagakure...has a nice sound to it. Peaceful.”

Madara smiled. That is what Sakura had said. “That was our original intention in building this when we were children, yes, peaceful.”

“Have you heard anything from the Lord of Fire? Do the neighboring lands know of the Uzumaki’s struggles? We might not be the only ones to come to their aide.” Madara pointed out wisely.

“I have not had word from the Fire Palace, no...but I think. I will wait, see how their visit goes. They are scheduled to arrive at any moment. I will speak to Ashina in person, and find out exactly how much trouble the Uzumaki are in. If they are in need of our help...I can not deny them...don’t you think?”. Hashirama looked at his friend for his opinion.

“It would be best not to rely on rumour.” Madara agreed. “Let’s wait then, as you said. Let us hear what Ashina Uzumaki has to say in person. Mito hasn’t mentioned it in her letters?” He asked Hashirama who shook his head.

“No, which is why I am not as alarmed as I would be considering the talk that is coming in from the surrounding merchants. I think she would have confided such a thing in me. We have grown closer through our correspondence.” Hashirama blushed.

Madara was more than pleased to see and hear this. He wanted his friend to be happy. He felt that they both deserved happiness after a childhood of war and blood. “I look forward to meeting her then.” Madara smiled at his friend who smiled back.

“Have you heard from Sakura?” Hashirama asked, as though the man could read his friend’s mind. “She still has two more days until she returns from getting acquainted with her new summons doesn’t she?”

Hashirama wasn’t fooling his friend, he knew that, but he didn’t want to seem overly anxious about the woman. He had seen the way his friend and Sakura had been...bonding over the last few weeks, how comfortable they were around one another, how...infuriatingly happy they seemed to be when they spoke together quietly in the corners of the rooms. Hashirama knew there was something to be said between his old friend and himself but...wasn’t going to push it when things were going so well.

Besides, he had no proof that anything had happened...if it had. They had agreed to share the woman...his engagement to Mito meant nothing. Sakura could marry Madara and he could marry Mito. If Madara wanted a turn with Mito in bed, that was fine with Hashirama...he would have his own time with Sakura to look forward to.

...oblivious to his friend’s thoughts, Madara confirmed Hashirama’s statement.

“Yes.” Madara set the scrolls from the Nara and the Yamanaka down on his desk. “Sakura should return in two days. If the Nara and the Yamanaka clan heads wish to visit our village, Konoha, it would be best if she were here.”

“For the hospital?” Hashirama asked. Sakura was beautiful and strong but he didn’t see why she needed to be here when the clan heads came for the tour of their village, not after what had happened with the Shimura Clan.

“The hospital yes, but Sakura is...the future of Kunoichi in general. It is a new generation. I think it wise to show the other Clan heads the direction in which we are moving. Peace is not our only objective. Our village is the first of many firsts.” Madara smiled, recalling the many firsts he and Sakura had shared together last night in their cave. “She is impressive, but unique. I think it is important that they see first hand that all the rumors they have heard about her are true while dispelling the false ones.”

“Ah.” Hashirama rubbed his chin laughing. “You’ve heard then have you?”

“That she punches holes through those who oppose her? Can level mountains with a flick of her hair and steal the soul from a man, leaving him abused, drained and wanting?” Madara scoffed. “I’ve heard.”

“It makes you wonder though hum? If the last one is true.” Hashirama’s eyes narrowed and sparkled with ill masked intent that made Madara a bit uneasy. “Abused, drained and wanting...I’d be game to see if that one was true.”

Madara shifted in his seat. “Hashi, I doubt such rumors are true. Sakura is not that kind of woman, surely you must know that.” 

“Yes, yes I know...but like you said before, I can fantasize. Hum?” Hashirama laughed, rose from his seat and picked up the scroll from the Yamanaka. “I’ll reply to the Yamanaka, you take care of the Nara, the Uchiha have a slightly better relationship with the Nara than the Senju after the last war.”

Madara nodded and picked up the missive from the Nara pausing briefly...debating if he ought to say something to his friend. Indra’s words had played over and over in his head last night as he held Sakura naked against his body, his fingers twined with hers, her breath ghosting over his chest. ‘If she comes to you this time, protect her from Ashura’...

“Women are observant Hashi. Do be careful around Sakura while Mito is here.” That was as good as a warning he could muster at the moment. “Your engagement is…”

“I know Madara.” Hashirama said quietly. He had thought of it as well. “I know I have to...handle this carefully. I’ve been trying, for all my playful words I will not deny my attraction for Sakura, but I know I am engaged...it is what is best for the village but…”

Hashirama sighed. He knew it would come to this. “I will try to put Sakura from my mind, for now. It is good she will be gone for these next two days still. It has helped me put things into perspective...in terms of importance.”

He was trying, Madara could see that.

“I’m glad Hashi. You deserve to be happy. I think Mito will make you happy.” Madara said honestly. Sakura would never choose Hashirama. Their personalities were too different to be lovers, friends...good friends but not lovers and it was good to hear his friend was trying to forget the woman romantically and focus on his intended, as he should.

“I hope so. I hope I can make her happy as well.” Hashirama sighed dramatically and folded his hands over one another on his desk...then laughed out loud. “Women, huh, war is...almost easier…” He looked across the room at his friend who had started to laugh.

“War may be easier Hashi, but far less rewarding.” Madara laughed with his friend, his heart light, visions of a beautiful pink haired woman spread out before him on the cave floor, green eyes filled with want and curiosity...a beautifully dangerous combination.

“Perhaps.” Hashirama eyed his old friend. There was a look of contentment on Madara’s face he had never seen before and he wondered...who, who was responsible for it...Sakura was gone and wouldn’t return for two more days...maybe he wouldn’t have to share Sakura after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mito and Hajime coming soon...


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any errors, tired...will fix them, eventually.

Dark eyes watched the woman floating in the water. She hadn’t moved on her own for some time now, letting her body move with the secondary current that the river provided. He had been keeping pace with her...periodically. He would have thought her dead, if not for the subtle rise and fall of her chest, the wet fabric sticking most enticingly against her skin.

She wore wraps...an unusual addition unless...she was a kunoichi. That too was, unusual, he had thought to himself, his eyes darting beyond the floating woman to the opposite bank. That’s where the village was said to be.

...was she from the village? He knew the village made and run by shinobi was a first, he wondered...did they have many kunoichi, not many clans allowed their women to fight alongside the men.

He had heard rumors of a pink haired woman who had lived in the forest where the Senju and the Uchiha had decided to build their village together, but the rumors' said nothing of her being a kunoichi. He wondered...had they forced her out, or had she joined them in their undertaking. Was that why she was floating aimlessly in the river?

An unusual move for the Uchiha. They were a rather traditional clan. As far as he was aware, they had no kunoichi in their current ranks...actually, they never had. The Senju had a female shinobi, up until their last battle with the Uchiha…

He had heard that was why the Senju had signed the Uchiha’s counter offered peace treaty...because of the death of Toka Senju, Hashirama’s cousin. Rumors, like the people who told them, were fickle.

Hajime...had come to find out for himself, what this new village was about, alone.

He hadn’t meant to stop by the river this long, he had every intention of taking a drink, then moving on toward the village to get a closer look, not to enter, just to...look...but pink, even in the forest with all its flowers...was an unusual color. His eye had been drawn to it, then to her.

Sakura looked up at the blue sky overhead. Several clouds followed her down the river, slowly floating out of her line of sight, it was so relaxing and so peaceful. It really helped put things into perspective. She wondered if that’s why Shikamaru was always running off to lay on the roofs of buildings and look at the clouds. It helped clear the mind.

Takeo would be wondering where she was and why she hadn’t returned yet. She should swim to the shore and summon him, let him know that she was okay, she hadn’t returned to the den like she had planned... 

While she had been floating she had been thinking. She decided that since she already had an established relationship with the wolves...no more time was needed with them, right now. 

...but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to head back to the village just yet. Being alone in the woods again was kinda nice. It was simple. It seemed like after Tanzaku her life had gotten so...full, she missed the days she had spent alone in the forest.

Sakura flipped over onto her front and kicked out, moving her arms in front of her dragging the water down and back, propelling herself forward toward the shore. Shaking herself off and wringing her hair off to the side, tossing it casually and carelessly over her shoulder she bit her thumb, and pressed her fingers to the ground.

Hajime hadn’t been prepared for the huge wolf, he hadn’t been expecting her to call her summons...and he had never...never seen the ancient wolf summons before. He thought they had gone extinct. This woman...was interesting...he wanted to know more about her.

“Sakura!” Takeo dropped his huge head down to look the woman in the eye. “Where have you been, have you been out all night, why weren’t you in your room when I woke up?” He demanded.

Sakura rolled her eyes and placed both of her hands on her hips. “I am a grown woman Takeo, if I want to spend the night elsewhere, I will. You’re not my keeper you know.”

Hajime’s eyes went wide, was this woman insane? He had never heard of anyone speaking to the ancient wolf pack with such disrespect and surviving the encounter. Summons or not, he had heard any number of tales about the ancient wolves of the Sage of Six Paths and their fabled brutality.

“I called you here to tell you that I will not be returning to the wilds. I am going to take the next two days to just think, be alone.” She told him, her hands coming up to lay over his big nose. “Why did you come in your full height?” She asked him.

“Well, you weren’t there when I woke up, I thought you might be in trouble.” Takeo laid down, his nose still under her hands. “I see that you’re fine.” He sighed.

“I am, I spent the night with Madara Uchiha, it was nice. We talked, you know about, uh...our past.” She sat down in front of her friend.

‘Madara Uchiha?’, Hajime’s eye twitched...so she was taken...

“Spent the night with Madara Uchiha?” Takeo raised a bushy brow at her, his left lip curling back. He didn’t like the sound of that.

“Why are you repeating me, you heard what I said. Nothing happened.” Sakura huffed. “I mean, not much any way, we uh, kissed a little.” She blushed and looked out across the river.

Takeo snorted. “I don’t need to know what you’ve done or what you haven’t done with the Uchiha. You know how I feel about him.”

Hajime didn’t understand...was she not in a relationship with the Uchiha Clan head then?

“He isn’t the same person, and neither am I. We’ve lived differently, our environment shaped us differently, Takeo, and I think...the same goes for Hashirama.” She said honestly.

...so, Hajime thought to himself, she is on first name basis with both the Uchiha clan head and the Senju clan head is she...

“What!” Takeo leapt to his feet. “After he drugged you, and took you from...are you….”

“Takeo, it wasn’t him!” Sakura tried to protest. “We can’t be blamed for those things, those things that happened before. It isn’t fair.” She had hoped he would understand but…

Hajime’s ears perked up...what was that...

“...but, but, Shizuka!” Takeo didn’t like what she was saying, he didn’t like how she was being so...forgiving and so calm about this when the man had killed her lover and the other had forced her to marry him then…then...

“Takeo, please.” Sakura pet his nose gently, then rubbed her face on the side of his face. “Try to understand.”

“...but Shizika…” Takeo’s voice was softening...she knew she had won. He was trying to understand but...but…

‘Who is Shizuka’, Hajime leaned forward to hear them better, then retracted, thinking better of it...the summons was a wolf, he didn’t want his scent to be detected...

“Sakura, my name is Sakura, Takeo.” Sakura kissed the tip of his nose. “Now leave me be okay, I need to think a few things through and figure a few things out before going back to the village. If I need you, I’ll call you.”

Takeo nodded. “Fine, but...at night, call one of the pups will you, to stand guard at night, for me.”

“I’ll think about it Takeo, thanks...you’re a good friend.” She smiled up at him.

“Right.” Takeo sighed, his massive chest heaving in contrast to the trees around him. “A good friend.”

Hajime scratched at his chin. ‘More friend than summons’, he understood, it was the same between him and his ninkin...he thought the ancient wolves suited the woman. He needed to go, but he would wait until her wolf friend left, just to make sure. His chakra was masked but wolves had a keen sense of smell, like him, it wasn’t worth the risk.

“Come here.” Sakura reached both of her arms up to her friend and wrapped her fists up in the fur around his neck and let him lift her a few feet off the ground as she buried her face in his fur. “I’ll call you again soon okay, maybe we can have dinner together tomorrow before I go back to the village hum?”

“Grilled fish?” Takeo asked, his tail swishing back and forth.

“Yes, if that’s what you’d like.” Sakura laughed as he let her down, then nudged her affectionately.

“Be careful alone in the woods. I’ll see you soon.” Takeo sat back on his hind legs and disappeared in a huge puff of smoke.

Sakura continued to smile as the smoke cleared. It would be okay. Takeo was annoyed but...he would get over it. The choice was hers he had told her. Kakashi and Takeo weren’t the only things she had to make a choice about though. 

Hajime watched the woman. She stood perfectly still, as though she were waiting, waiting for him to move...she knew he was there he realized, she had known the whole time...

Sakura resisted the urge to look over her shoulder. She had felt the man follow her down the river for the last hour but he hadn’t made any move to attack her...or mask his presence. So she had left it alone. Clearly the man was a shinobi, and just as clearly he didn’t wish to be seen.

It was fine with her. She could feel no ill intent form his slightly familiar signature, only curiosity. Which was expected she supposed…

Hajime watched the kunoichi for a few more minutes to see what she would do. She had sent her summons away after checking in with him...he had never seen anyone do such a thing but the Hatake clan where their ninkin were more like family than summons pets. He wondered, was that the way of the wolves as well? He wouldn’t doubt it. It looked like it. Clearly the woman and the wolf were close.

She had wanted to spend the rest of the day and the next alone...he had seen enough. He would leave her to her peace. Lifting his nose to the air he sniffed appreciatively, the wind had changed wafting her scent toward him. It was light, and fragrant...like blossoms or sakura trees, for which she was aptly named. He smiled. If he hadn’t come this way with a directive in mind, he might have passed his time by following her further, or perhaps speaking with her but...he had strayed from his mission long enough.

Sakura could feel the unknown signature moving farther and farther away from her in the opposite direction as she ran over the treetops through the forest. Whoever it had been, wasn’t following her. She let out a small breath of relief. She hadn’t felt any ill intent from the signature but that solidified the feeling in her mind, he wasn’t a threat, yet.

Probably someone curious about the new shinobi village in the Land of Fire. Madara said he had sensed two such signatures in the last week, Hashirama had sensed one and Tobirama had felt 5...Izuna, wasn’t a sensor.

She wondered how much longer it would be before the other clans came to settle. The Sarutobi were en route now and should be there by the end of the week. Their main house was finished, thanks to Sasuke Sarutobi and two of the building crews he had brought with him after signing his clan to the treaty.

More would follow. It was just a matter of time. That’s why, she thought to herself as she ran toward the border of Fire and Wind country, she needed time to think.

What was the largest factor that caused the majority of the unrest in the shinobi world for the first great war to break out...history was unclear, but she knew that the sale of tailed beasts to even out the power helped end the wars. Sakura returned to her original thought. No, she had remembered it incorrectly. The Five Kage summit had occurred before the wars.

If Hashirama didn’t sell the tailed beasts, if he kept all of the tailed beasts in Konoha and demanded world peace…maybe the wars could be prevented, or at the very least have a better outcome for all nations considering Hashirama would use the power of the tailed beasts for the good of all.

Maybe she could...find Shukaku herself…Konoha hadn’t been named yet even though Madara had already chosen the name. No one had been named Hokage yet so officially, the village did not exist. Sunagakure, according to their history books and many, many conversations over the years between her, Temari, Kankuro and Gaara, the Kazekage of her time, was founded seven years after Konoha.

Shukaku should be free right now then. Maybe she could talk to him. Get him to come back to Konoha with her of his own free will…or he would attack and kill her but...he hadn’t been forced into a vessel yet, the Monk who would serve as his first jinchuriki hadn’t been chosen yet. If she explained who she was and...maybe…

Kurama had warmed up to her after the war. She, Naruto and Kurama would visit Gaara in Suna sometimes. She had been terrified of the nine tails when Naruto had laughed and introduced them after the war, but soon she and Kurama had become great friends. If she could win over the nine tails perhaps...Shukaku wouldn’t be so hard...she hoped he would be more receptive toward her since he hadn’t been imprisoned by humans yet. 

He hadn’t grown to hate humans yet. Had any of them, or would Hashirama’s capturing them trigger the hatred...Sakura licked her bottom lip in thought. Maybe that was it, maybe she should go with Hashirama to gather and persuade the tailed beasts to join them. She didn’t like the idea of spending several weeks traveling alone with Hashirama...if only Madara had the Mangekyou Sharingan that could control the tailed beasts instead of her having to rely on Hashirama’s wood release.

Maybe...she could trigger the reaction with her medical jutsu. She and Kakashi had theorized the possibility of using her healing chakra to stimulate ‘loss’ and ‘grief’ in the electrical synapses of the brain to make the brain think it had experienced some great emotional trauma, thus awakening the different levels of the sharingan.

Sakura went over her and Kakashi’s many conversations in her head as well as a few she had been fortunate enough to have with Sasuke concerning his own sharingan and rinnegan. In theory, like the Mangekyou Sharingan, the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, might be feasible if she cloned the eyes of a close relative to the one wishing to avoid stealing or taking that relative’s eyes.

Such as Madara and his brother Izuna...but would they let her, did they trust her enough to even let her try it…

All the Uchiha of her time were dead. She hadn’t had the opportunity to clone Itachi’s eyes much less find his corpse to do so, even if Sasuke would have let her, and she doubted he would have agreed to such a thing. He would have considered it a desecration of his brother’s body...which, it was. Sakura sighed...she would have to sit Izuna and Madara down when she got back to the village to explain it to them. If she could help the Uchiha awaken their kekkei genkai without pain, if they allowed her to try it...she would do it.

Green eyes narrowed at the hawk in the sky. Shinrai had been following her for some time now and she wondered if it was on Madara’s orders or if the bird was just being her typical nosy self. Either way, Sakura didn’t mind...Madara would be told which way she had been heading but he wouldn’t know why.

Shinrai soared overhead, her eyes on the woman who had stolen Lord Madara’s affections, seemingly oblivious that she was being followed by his summons. Where was the woman going? There was nothing in that direction but sand. Sand, temples, and more sand.

Shinrai circled around once more before dropping down low and turning back toward the new Uchiha main house to inform the Uchiha clan head that his love interest...was leaving the forest for the desert without so much as a canteen on her belt, alone. She wondered if she should mention the white haired man that had been following the woman along the river as well...

Sakura knew Suna’s surrounding desert just as well as she knew Konoha’s surrounding forests. She had spent so much time in Suna and it’s surrounding area with both Temari and Gaara, she practically had dual citizenship, along with her own room in the Kazekage’s palace. She would travel with Naruto when he would visit his fellow Kage and friend, to check up on their hospital, the hospital staff and to give Gaara his physical, which he always requested her to perform personally much to Kakashi’s annoyance.

...and she knew exactly which temple Shukaku was protecting, from all of the tales Shukaku himself had told her. It was his favorite story to tell her, how the Sage had split all of the tailed beasts up and had given each of them a temple to watch over in his name. He had been pleased with his temple, being surrounded by sand and his own private oasis. 

It was only a two day journey from her present location. Should she try it, Shukaku liked women, he had told her many times that if she ever got bored of Kakashi he would love to take his place. Gaara had whispered to her that Shukaku was the reason he hadn’t been able to stop staring at her throughout the Chunin exams when they had first met at twelve years old in Konoha. She didn’t remember that, but she did remember Gaara trapping her up against a large tree with his sand and trying to kill Team 7.

She would have to call Takeo to send Konoha a message, or at the very least Madara. They might not be...a couple, but she didn’t want him to worry. A brief stab of guilt passed through her when she thought of Tobirama...he would worry too. Did she want him to find out through Madara, wouldn’t that be a bit cruel on her part...no, Tobirama deserved an explanation. Even if she didn’t consider them to be in a relationship, he might.

Her fingers ran along the gold of the chain he had given her...yes, he might.

That wasn’t something she wanted to think about right now though. She had to focus, she was nearing the border and the wind had just shifted against her...a storm was coming.

Sakura closed her eyes and stepped out into the sand. Several hours later...she began to wonder at the wisdom of her impulsive decision. It had sounded like a good idea at the time, she told herself as sand blasted her legs and arms, cutting through her clothes and whipping her hair from it’s tie.

Sand buffered up against her skin as she put one foot in front of the other, slowing from a run to a walk. The chakra she had used to keep the sand from her nose, ears and eyes pulsed around her like a forcefield deflecting the wind and sand alike. Without it, she wouldn’t be able to continue through the storm that raged around her.

Even with the shield that her chakra provided she knew from her previous travels into the desert she would have to stop and rest soon. It wasn’t feasible, even in her own time after Suna had been established, to push through a storm such as this with no guarantee of making it to your destination, was foolish. Suna wasn’t there for her to fall back on in this time, if she got lost, she would be in trouble.

There was a small set of caves up ahead that she had used to take cover in with Temari and Gaara when a sudden storm such as this came upon them going to Suna or coming from Suna in her time. This time of year when the storms were more common, it was best just to wait it out. She would take shelter in the caves and wait out the storm before continuing on to the temple of Shukaku’s. She would need to have her wits about her, be well rested and refreshed when dealing with the loud and boisterous Tanuki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me...
> 
> Hajime and Sakura haven't officially met yet, so don't get too excited :)


	46. Shiko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to get this out. It is longer than the others though if that helps.

Sakura made the hand signs for the three layered genjutsu Sasuke had taught her when he had first agreed to come back to Konoha after the war. She always thought of him when she cast it, how could she not...instead of the usual pain that typically followed the thought of the last Uchiha...thoughts of another Uchiha spilled into her mind. Madara Uchiha.

Madara...she could almost feel his touch on her skin, the smoothness of his finger tips, the calming deep of his voice warm against the side of her neck as he moved his hands up to her…

Not right now, she told herself...

With a quick glance out at the whirls of sand she bit her thumb and pressed a minimal amount of chakra into her palm and called forth one of her wolves. A small silver wolf appeared, tail swaying back and forth, Ice blue eyes bright and full of curiosity.

“Did I beat him to it? Did I win?” A soft nervous voice floated somewhere around Sakura’s ankles. “Oh my gosh! I won! I beat old man Takeo!”

Blue eyes peered up at Sakura. The small wolf cleared her throat. “You summoned me?” She had deepened her voice in an attempt to sound older.

Sakura covered her mouth with both of her hands, stifling her giggles, it was clear the little wolf was trying to act like an adult. Sakura cleared her throat as well. “I did. What might your name be, little one?” Sakura smiled at the little wolf.

“I’m Shiko!” The little girl wolf squealed, then straightened her spine and frowned, her lips twitching...Sakura could tell she was trying her hardest to imitate Takeo and bit the inside of her mouth so she didn’t embarrass herself by falling apart into peels of laughter.

“Ah Shiko, so nice to meet you, I think I remember you from dinner last night.” Sakura smiled more easily at the little wolf who was sniffing her feet and legs.

“Where are we...I mean, are you in any trouble Sakura Sama?” The little wolf asked politely.

“I’m not in any trouble, thank you for asking Shiko. I promised Takeo I would call one of the younger wolves for the night. As you can see I had to take refuge from the sand storm in a cave. I’m fine but I was wondering if you would be able to do something for me?” Sakura pet the little wolf and scratched her chin affectionately.

“I couldn’t summon Takeo in the cave, it is too small, but I need him to tell Lord Madara Uchiha that I have gone to the desert to search for the one tail Shukaku of the Sand.” Sakura gave Shiko one more pat on the head before meeting her eyes.

“Shukaku of the Sand, the one tailed beast, sure I can tell him to tell Lord Uchiha, um, why don’t you come back to the Wilds tonight Sakura Sama? It would be much safer, you wouldn’t have to cast protection seals on the den.” Shiko pointed out.

“Thank you Shiko, but I need a bit of time to myself, Takeo knows and I hope he understands. Could you go now and let him know of my request?” Sakura asked.

Shiko nodded. “Sure but he’s not going to like it. He doesn’t like the Uchiha, much less your interest in him. Why do you like him anyway?” The little wolf sang in a warning voice, then dropped a paw over her nose. “He’ll be coming for you after he delivers his message you know.” Shiko looked up at Sakura to see what she had to say to that.

“I know, remind him why I didn’t call him in the first place and not to force his way in when he comes to check on me.” Sakura smiled, ignoring the young wolf’s question about Madara.

“You can count on me Sakura Sama!” Shiko did a small back flip, yelped and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“So energetic, maybe I should have sent her!” Sakura laughed and pulled her storage scroll from her pouch.

It was only a little past noon, she had been hoping she would make it a little further before having to stop but there weren’t any caves that she was aware of beyond these that Gaara and Temari had told her about. She knew there were thousands of them, but she had no idea where they were, much less wanting to risk not finding one in a storm like the one that was raging outside of her barrier.

Sakura pulled a herbal out of her pack to read and set her full canteen on the cave floor beside her taking small sips as she waited for the storm to pass. If she was lucky, the storm would pass in an hour or so and she could make her way southwest uninhibited, if not, she would have to spend the night here.

Hashirama watched his friend carefully. He had been acting strange all day...calm, Madara was calmer than normal. Not that Madara was uptight, typically, but he was never this...serene when they were children. Many years had passed since they had been children by the river but...not much had changed between them, except now he thought that perhaps...his friend might be keeping something from him.

“Madara, are you worried about Sakura?” Hashirama tried for a guess.

“Hum? No, she’ll be fine I’m sure.” Madara said, distractedly like he had been all day. “She was by the river earlier, you felt her too I assume?”

Hashirama nodded, he had felt her presence and wondered at it. He hadn’t asked his brother but was sure Tobirama was also aware of the woman’s close proximity earlier that day. “I thought she would have spent more time with her new summons.”

“Yes, I wonder how that is going and what sort of summons she has, or had before. Strange isn’t it?” Madara asked Hashirama.

“There are many things that are strange about Sakura, it is what makes her so attractive, so intriguing to pursue. Her episodes seemed to have stopped, have you noticed her feeling faint as of late? I asked Tobirama and he assured me she has been much better.” Hashirama rubbed little circles on his leg absentmindedly.

Madara nodded. “She has been much better.” He knew why but...perhaps...

“I’ve been thinking Hashi, perhaps it would be best if...we let her choose one of us to pursue instead of the other way around.” He wasn’t quite sure how his friend would react to this new idea. Most women didn’t get to choose their husband, but Sakura was...not from their time she wasn’t used to such restrictions and he knew Hashirama had already noticed how unusually head strong the woman was. Surely he knew Sakura wouldn’t marry anyone they chose for her, much less told her to marry.

It had been Madara’s idea to share the woman in the beginning but only because he hadn’t gotten to know her like he did now and...because he knew he wouldn’t be able to win against Hashirama. He never had been able to win against him, even when they had been children.

“You don’t want to share her anymore? I was thinking about it, and you’re right it wasn’t fair of me to ask that of you without giving you something in return. You can have Mito for a few nights if you like, that would make it fair.” Hashirama smiled at his friend, he had meant to share his thoughts with him but hadn’t had the opportunity until now.

“Mito, your wife?” Madara was shocked that Hashirama would even suggest such a thing, he hadn’t even met the woman yet and was offering her to Madara. “Drugged you mean?”

“Well, of course, unless you think she would be okay with it consciously.” Hashirama tapped his pointer finger along the side of his jaw thoughtfully. “I doubt Sakura would be willing to sleep with both of us at the same time, well, one after the other.” Hashirama laughed out loud while Madara cringed internally.

“Unless you wanted to try her both at the…” Hashirama began contemplating the thought.

“Please stop talking.” Madara sighed.

“Hashi, I don’t think that is a good idea. I would not wish to sleep with your wife and Sakura is special. I know you are taken with her but wouldn’t it be best if she came to you willingly?” Madara was trying to make his friend understand without being as blunt as Hashirama was being. Talking about this, about Sakura like this, felt...wrong.

“Ideally, yes. I would like very much if she came willingly to my bed of course, much more pleasurable if they participate but Sakura...I would take her willingly or not.” Hashirama laughed again. “The things I have imagined doing to her once I get her alone and sedated are…”

He wasn’t getting it. Madara wasn’t sure how to tell him that they had grown closer, that he didn’t want to share her and he didn’t want his friend to...drug her. “Hashi, there is something you ought to know. I am considering...asking Sakura to marry me.”

Hashirama paused, letting his hands drop down onto the low table before him. Madara’s tone of voice had changed, he was much more serious than he had been and Hashirama thought he sensed a bit of...warning in his friend’s voice. “Really.”

Madara nodded. “We have, well, you’ve seen it I’m sure. We’ve grown rather close and last night we spent the night together.” Madara confessed to his friend, he wanted his affections for the woman to be clear. Sakura was not just a prize to him, she was, more..

“Her? It is Sakura that is making you act so…” Oh, Hashirama understood.

Silence fell between the two friends. A maid came into the sitting room of the Uchiha main house and set fresh tea down for the Senju and the Uchiha then left.

“I thought you may have found someone else.” Hashirama broke the awkward silence. “You look content.” He admitted thoughtfully.

Madara waited, he knew there was more to say between them but he wasn’t sure how to say it. He knew if he waited long enough, Hashirama would do most of the talking for both of them.

“She wasn’t due back for two more days, did she come back for you?” Hashirama was angry, but he controlled it. He was surprised, but he hid it well. If Madara knew what he was thinking, had been thinking...what he had planned for Sakura…

“I do not believe she came back just for me but...I know she was happy to see me when she did and welcomed me willingly by her side throughout the night.” Madara said in calmed measured tones fully aware of the tension between them. 

Hashirama was upset, he could feel it in the air but how upset, he wasn’t sure. It had been many years since he had felt that he knew his friend. Now, he wasn’t sure what he would do, how he would react to this kind of a confession.

“Do you love her?” Hashirama blurted out, his brows furrowed. “I thought...I mean, I thought it was just a physical attraction for you, by the river you told me you thought she was a Tennyo, that you wanted to…”

“I did, but that has changed. I respect her, care for her more than...I thought I did or could. I think I might...love her Hashi.” Madara said the words with much more confidence than he felt. He hadn’t wanted to say it but perhaps if his friend fully understood the emotional attachment behind his words for Sakura he would respect Madara’s claim and let the woman be.

“Love her.” Hashirama sat back in his seat on the floor and cast his friend a suspicious glance. “Why are you really telling me this Madara?” Hashirama’s voice was low, deceptively smooth and neutral.

“I do not want to share her with you. It wouldn’t be an arranged marriage. I love her.” Madara had already said as much, he saw no reason to back down now. Some things were worth fighting for and he was not a coward.

“I see.” Hashirama met his friend’s eyes. “Tobirama thinks the woman belongs to him.”

“I am aware, but Sakura told me herself he has no claim on her. She doesn't feel the same way. I asked about your brother, before we...before we laid down together for the night. She told me they are friends. You don’t think I would pursue her if I thought she was legitimately attached to your brother do you?” Madara stiffened a tad in his seat. 

“No, I guess not.” Hashirama scratched at his chin thoughtfully...what should he say...

He knew that Tobirama had given her an engagement necklace, but he knew, as he had just told Hashirama that Sakura had not viewed or accepted the necklace with the same intentions that Tobirama had in mind when gifting the item to her.

It was a terrible misunderstanding, but it was a misunderstanding that would need to be clarified and soon.

“She doesn’t see herself attached to any of us then. I think I understand. It is as I thought, originally when I first saw her.” Hashirama smiled, there were several options available to him moving forward, but which one he chose...depended on what Madara did or said next. 

His brother would always forgive him and he would always forgive Tobirama, but Madara was different. If Hashirama took the woman from the man...he would never forgive him, if he thought the woman belonged to him...and if he forced her and Madara found out...

“If she isn’t attached to any one of us, then you can not logically claim her either, can you?” Hashirama said reasonably, nodding to himself. It was a valid point.

“No, I can’t. I would not wish to either. Let her choose of her own free will to come to me or to allow me to come to her again as she did last night.” Madara was pleased. 

Hashirama was being much more receptive to his words than he thought the man would be. He had been so fixated on the woman for so long, Madara feared he had become obsessed with the idea of having Sakura, and would be unwilling to compromise or listen to reason.

“I will speak with Tobirama and explain things to him. It is best if it comes from me.” Hashirama smiled at his friend, this would work out just fine. 

He hadn’t planned on telling Tobirama what his intentions toward Sakura were, he saw no reason to tell Madara either. Not now. Madara had kept his feelings a secret when Hashirama had been nothing but open with him about his intentions. So be it...old friend, he had secrets to keep too.

“I am pleased to see you so happy...brother.” Hashirama smiled at Madara whose eye twitched ever so slightly. “Is something amiss?” Hashirama inquired casually.

“I have some things I wish to discuss with you but first, thank you Hashirama, for listening to me and for your empathy.” Madara extended his hand to his friend, a bit of his chakra pulsating at his fingertips like they had done when they were children by the Naka river. When they had agreed, not to tell anyone about their friendship, when they had sealed their agreement with blood, instead of chakra, binding them together forever. He wanted Hashirama to understand exactly what this meant to him.

Hashirama looked down at the offered hand and smiled. Perhaps he had been wrong, perhaps it had just been the woman who had clouded his friend’s brain. Hashirama pushed a pulse of his own chakra to his palm and grasped Madara’s hand. They were friends, but there was a bond there, one that had always been there that he couldn’t explain as though they had been...

...something passed between them when their hands clasped together, something more than the chakra they had intended to pass between one another. Visions of things long past, clothing of yet another era and speech foreign, yet familiar at the same time...two men standing side by side beside a large rock that blocked the river’s flow, one tall and brown haired, the other just as tall with dark jet black hair.

Hashirama blinked and the connection was broken, it was like...one of those dreams he had been having since he had first met Madara that day by the river and had...shaken his hand with a chakra infused palm. He hadn’t known what the dreams had meant until...he had grown older and had learned about the Sage of Six Paths...and about his sons.

Madara felt the tingling as it crept up the inside of his hand and over his wrist, he had seen them again as Indra and as Ashura Otsutsuki, standing by a river with a large rock blocking the flow of water...as the brothers that he knew they had once been. He needed to tell Hashirama what he knew. He deserved to know.

“Has she told you Hashi? Sakura?” Madara knew she hadn’t, that she had meant to but hadn’t had the chance with her new summons and how busy she had been with the new hospital. “Who we are, what we really are to one another and how she knows?”

What was this, Hashirama wondered. He could feel Madara’s chakra pulsate with his excitement and interest, and wondered what Madara was referring to, did he know about the Otsutsuki clan, but what did it have to do with Sakura...

“Sakura and I agreed to let the past be the past, she had meant to tell you but I see no harm in telling you...we are the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura Otsutsuki, the sons of the Sage of Six Paths.” Madara leaned forward in his seat as he imparted this news to Hashirama.

Madara watched Hashirama’s eyes widen and grow as round as small moons, then narrow to near slits, he knew, or he suspected...Madara didn’t understand, why hadn’t Hashirama mentioned it before. Of course, he, Madara hadn’t mentioned it before either...

“Who is Sakura then? I have had these dreams, these very disturbing dreams about you and I...and a pink haired woman who looks like Sakura, but isn’t, her hair is a darker pink, her green eyes are a lighter green and... There is a man in my dreams that looks like you, but I know he isn’t and then…” Hashirama swallowed. “There is a man that looks far too much like myself for my own comfort, but I know...it is not me. The stories of the old days, of the Sage...”

It was Madara’s turn to be surprised. “You never told me.” He narrowed dark eyes suspiciously at his friend.

“You never told me.” Hashirama pointed out.

“I told you just now.” Madara crossed his arms over his chest.

“Yes, while you told me that you no longer wish to share a woman who seems to be a large part of both of our shared pasts.” Hashirama nearly growled, some of his true intent and emotions spilling forth in his argument. Madara was mad at him for not telling him the truth and yet he hadn’t told him the truth either and wanted to lay claim to Sakura.

“You stole her from my bed brother!” Madara rose to his feet. And glared down at Ashura. If Hashirama knew they were the reincarnations, then he knew of their past deeds as well.

“She was always supposed to be my wife!” Ashura jumped to his feet and met his brother nose for nose, confirming Madara’s suspicions.

“I remember now…'' Madara held the side of his head as a white light and streak of pain shot from his heart to his head, he looked at Hashirama and saw the man was likewise holding his head with the other hand over his heart. Their eyes met, dark solid black and deep brown.

“As do I.” Hashirama growled again. “She was my wife.”

“She was in love with me first.” Madara countered. “You stole her from me.”

“No, she wasn’t.” Hashirama snickered wickedly. “She was in love with that Hatake, with Ashitoke...you killed him, remember and…” Hashirama started laughing uncontrollably.

Madara stared at him, his memories flooding back into his head. “I did?” Madara frowned… 

”I did kill him, I had...forgotten.” He frowned, looking down at his palm which continued to tingle. Was he any better than his friend, his brother?

“I thought...she had led me to believe that…” Madara paused, it didn’t matter. “That was then through Hashirama. It doesn’t matter. I am no longer that man and she is no longer that woman.” Sakura didn’t know he realized...she didn’t know he had killed Ashitoke.

“Isn’t she?” Hashirama looked at his friend with pity. “She took my brother’s necklace, slept with you last night, flirts with Izuna and allowed me to share her fire with her and bring her rabbits. I built her a house.” He laughed a much less humorous laugh, his eyes focusing on a tree outside beyond the wood line visible from Madara’s sitting room.

“I do not believe that was her intention, any of it. The way you say it, how you explain her actions is much more sinister than it really is Hashirama. You do her an injustice. Sakura is a good woman. She is a loyal woman.” Madara was sure of it.

“She doesn't consider herself to be in a relationship with any of us, we have both agreed as much have we not?” Madara insisted. He didn’t like the way Hashirama was twisting the facts, the way he was slighting Sakura’s character or the way his eyes shone...the man was plotting.

“You are not the man you were either. Should you be held accountable for your misdeeds as Ashura?” Madara was trying to be reasonable but Hashirama was making him angry and he found it more and more difficult to control his anger when he spoke so loosely about Sakura when she had been so willing to forgive the man for abducting her and forcing her into a consummate union as Shizuka.

...would she forgive him when she found out he had killed Ashitoke? Yes...she would...who would tell her though, he wouldn’t. Hashirama would though, wouldn’t he...

“She does not hold your past life’s sin against the man you are now, do not hold her actions against her, or mine against me.” Madara said flatly, brokering no further argument from the man. He and Sakura had talked, they understood one another, they had come to an agreement. He would honor Hashirama with the same agreement.

“You’ve discussed this with her...in length and in depth.” Hashirama frowned, but sat back down on his cushion at the table. So, they really had grown closer.

“We did not meet with plans on discussing this without you Hashirama.” Madara resumed his seat as well. He could see Hashirama was hurt, he did not want him to think his and Sakura’s actions began or were based on ill intentions. “We met last evening quite by accident if you must know.”

“Oh?” Hashirama was intrigued again, his previous anger subsiding in the hopes or gaining more information from his friend.

“I thought she was with her summons. Your brother has taught her how to completely erase her chakra signature. I did not know she was in the cave until I stepped around the waterfall and saw her...crying.” Madara stopped speaking, he didn’t feel right telling Hashirama this. It was private and he wanted to keep it that way. Sakura might not want him to know.

“A cave?” Hashirama tried to recall such a cave and a waterfall but couldn’t think of one that was large enough or close enough to be the one Madara described.

“It doesn’t matter which cave.” Madara waved the cave away.

Hashirama bit the inside of his cheek to prevent the snide remark that nearly left his lips. It did matter. He could tell it mattered, at least to Sakura. He would find this cave...he hated not knowing things, particularly about her. If the cave was important to her, it was important to him...did Madara really not see that, was it not the same for him or perhaps Madara wanted to keep the cave a secret...

Sakura had been his wife. He had stolen her from Indra because Indra had refused to share her in a time that it was not uncommon for a man to share his wife with his brother to ensure their bloodline, but Indra had refused claiming he loved the woman and she loved only him. Even then, the woman had been...difficult.

Love. He thought he had loved Sakura, or that he could but...to hear Tobirama speak of the woman, to hear Madara speak of Sakura...he was starting to think that perhaps he didn’t know what love was, perhaps he never had. He wanted her, he desired her, but love her...he could try, he wanted to.

Perhaps...that was why he had stolen Shizuka from his brother Indra...he wanted to know what love was and knew, she could show him, teach him, tell him…

...she had been his wife once, whether they willed it or not, they were the same people that they had always been...if she had been his wife then, she was his wife now. He did not agree with Madara’s way of thinking. You couldn’t just erase the past for your own convenience. Sin...was not so easily erased, for any of them.

No...sin, couldn’t be erased.

She had only chosen Indra out of grief.

Madara was fooling himself.

Hashirama might not be the most ethical man, but he had never claimed to be. People thought what they wanted of him. They gave him this image, he merely used it to his advantage. Was he to be blamed for their constant misconception, was he not to use all the tools at his disposal to get what he wanted for the greater good...could he not allow himself this one pleasure...he deserved it. He would not be denied.

She was his wife.

“The Hatake Clan Madara.” Hashirama looked up at his friend, they had both fallen silent to their own thoughts. “They wrote, like the others...they wish to come visit our village and possibly join us here, in Konoha.”

Ashitoke Hatake...

“I know.” Madara had been thinking of that request as well, ever since he had kissed Sakura on the corner of her mouth and helped her tie her shirt back on that morning after. “This is a new life though Hashirama, he might not have been reincarnated, I do not know how that works.”

Hashirama never thought he would see the day that his friend would look so hopeful, so naïve and so...foolish. It was almost too easy. Had it been this way last time...was that what love was...a weakness?

“Hum, yes...a possibility.” Hashirama nodded, his eyes hooded in thought. “...and if he is?”

Then I will kill him again, Madara thought instantly, then regret it, no...he was not that man anymore. Sakura had come to him in this life willingly, he would not make the same mistakes Indra had. Indra had told him, do not make the same mistakes and to protect her. Protect her from Asura.

“There is no guarantee she will choose him. He might have died already in the wars. There is no proof that any of the current Hatake are reincarnations of Ashitoke.” Madara pointed out the obvious to his friend...his hope.

“I suppose we’ll find out, won't we. They are scheduled to arrive in two weeks.” Hashirama pulled a small flask from his sleeve and two small cups from his other sleeve and set them on the table. “I think we both need a drink, don’t you...Indra?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me...comments help inspire me to write faster, hint hint...not really, well a little actually, but not as much as I am letting on in hopes or gaining more comments...lol


	47. The Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Watashi no bunshō o yonde kurete arigatō. Mōshiwakearimasenga, genjitende wa kakemasen. Modoru ka dō ka wakarimasen.
> 
> Let us not judge.  
> Who can judge without prejudice?  
> Not I.  
> Nor would I wish to.  
> Judge not.  
> Be not judged.  
> Truth.  
> Is not always judgement.
> 
> 私の文章を読んでくれてありがとう。申し訳ありませんが、現時点では書けません。戻るかどうかわかりません
> 
> ...ironically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, not cannon...clearly

Shiko bounded down the hall of the great mountain den of the Wilds and tore around the corner into Takeo’s room at full speed. “Takeo Sama!”

“Shiko? What is it?” Takeo looked at the young pup with mild irritation, Sakura still hadn’t returned to the Wilds or summoned him and he was beginning to worry about her.

“Sakura Sama wanted me to tell you to tell Lord Madara uh...tell Lord Madara... she went to the desert to look for tails, one tail...the one tailed beast, Shukaku!” Shiko said in a hurry, bowing her head in both respect and exhaustion.

“The desert, she went to look for...what the hell is she thinking?” Takeo leapt to his feet and ran from the room.

“Takeo Sama! Sakura Sama wanted you to tell Lord Madara!” Shiko ran after Takeo, out of the room, through the hallways, down the corridor and into the great hall. “She sent me to tell you, she can not.” 

Shiko breathed heavily. “She’s in a cave in the desert and expects you to come to her, after.”

Takeo turned to look at the young wolf. “After?”

“Shiko nodded. “She knew you would not want her to go alone.” Shiko said simply.

“I see.” Takeo was pleased. Sakura had expected him, wanted him with her. “Tell Lord Elder where we have gone. I must deliver Sakura’s message to the Uchiha.”

Takeo left the den in the mountain, walked through the valley to the ridge and slipped through the Wild’s barrier, and into the farthest reach of Konoha’s forest. Most people assumed that the Wolves’ den was farther away, that it was hidden and protected by chakra spells, jutsu or Otsutsuki barriers, but it wasn’t. It was hidden in plain sight, with only a very mild protection jutsu of Takeo’s design.

So, Sakura still had feelings for Indra. Takeo wondered if he had waited too long, why Kakashi had waited so long to come see her again, what was the man thinking. Takeo had learned not to underestimate the man but still...the Uchiha could ruin everything. The Uchiha always ruined everything, just like that Sasuke, Madara would ruin this for them, for her.

Sakura had genuinely cared for Indra though, Takeo knew. Shizuka had truly loved the man. He, was the only thing that could ruin both of their plans. Takeo had warned her, had told her Indra had killed Ashitoke but she still...why, he didn’t understand.

He had never understood how she could be so forgiving and so...understanding but if she hadn’t been like that then...maybe he, Takeo would have died that day, the day they had met. Takeo sighed as he ran through the forest toward Konoha. They had agreed to let her choose. Kakashi had been so confident she would choose them again that Takeo had trusted him, but he was running now, toward the Uchiha main house where he could smell Madara’s scent the strongest...to deliver a message to him, from her…

Takeo slowed to a cautious walk as the trees began to thin around him. He could see the people moving about their business in the busy streets and on the more narrow private walkways between the house. Moving carefully between two large houses, he approached the Uchiha main house.

He saw the hair first, long, black and just as unruly as he had remembered it to be. Spiky from top to bottom, messy and careless...it was such a contrast and yet a compliment to the man himself. Takeo would recognize Indra Otsutsuki no matter what form he took or which life he was living.

Takeo moved closer and closer, looking left then right, the man was alone. Takeo stepped out of the treeline and raised his head. He would not allow himself to look either weak or submissive. He was a wolf of the Wild, and it would be wise for Indra to know Sakura had friends, other than the humans that surrounded her.

In his middling form Takeo was impressive, not nearly as impressive as he was in his true and fullest form, but his teeth were sharp and his gait was confident as he approached the Uchiha Clan head. “Lord Otsutsuki.”

Madara lifted his head slowly from the book he had been reading and turned toward the voice. His eyes met jet black fur and traveled upward locking with a set of some of the most intense eyes Madara had ever seen, and he, an Uchiha.

“You are?” Madara inclined his head to the wolf who could be none other than a member of the Wolves of the Wild...he had thought them to be only legends, myths and yet he could not deny the beautiful magnificence before him that was Takeo. Madara held the wolf’s direct piercing gaze without blinking.

“I am Takeo, son of the Great Elder Wolf of the Wilds, and Lady Shizuka’s personal summons and friend.” Takeo said formally as was required of his station. “I have a message from Shizuka. She has left the forest to hunt the one tailed beast of the Desert, Shukaku.”

Takeo bowed shallowly to the Uchiha, then turned to leave. He had done as she asked, he would join her now…

“The one tailed beast? Sakura went to capture the one tail alone?” Madara choked. “That’s far too dangerous. How far has she gotten, do you know where she is?”

Madara rose to his feet with every intention of running to the desert to find the ridiculous woman. “Why didn’t she tell me she was going.” He muttered to himself.

Takeo spun on his back left paw and rounded on Lord Madara. “Who are you to her, that she would feel the need to tell you such things?” He demanded of the man, he had, had enough.

“No one Master Wolf.” Madara said respectfully. He, like all the shinobi youth of their time, had heard the tales of the great Wolf demons of the Wild. Only a fool spites the danger at his door. “I only worry for her safety.”

Takeo’s eyes narrowed, the left side of his lip curled up and he growled a low sinister growl. If it had been anyone but Madara Uchiha, they may have taken several steps back, but he was Madara Uchiha.

Madara burst out laughing and nodded in approval. “I am glad Master Wolf, that Sakura has such good friends to look over her. It will make my job that much easier.” Madara sat back down on his porch and observed the wolf with interest and respect.

“How fitting for her to have you as her summons creature. The Wolves of the Wild, peace loving family animals, fierce and loyal, relentless and ferocious fighters.” Madara was comforted beyond words. “I’m glad.”

Takeo didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected this from Indra. Indra had always hated the Wolves, and the Wolves had always hated Indra. This man was...different...

“Your job?” Takeo asked, pacing easily back and forth in front of Madara.

“To protect Sakura, from Hashirama.” Madara looked at the wolf in surprise, just as Takeo’s bottom jaw dropped to reveal the impressive canines Madara had heard so much about.

“You remember.” Takeo cocked his head to the side. “She told you.”

“I’ve had dreams. I had already begun to suspect something of the sort, but yes, Sakura confirmed it.” Madara was surprised to hear that the wolves knew of all of their shared pasts, however, they had been blessed with the gift of longevity from Hagoromo himself long ago, so perhaps he ought not be quite so surprised.

“I see.” Takeo hadn’t been expecting this, but he supposed he should have. Sakura had begun to remember, it only made sense that the others would as well, but did that mean...Ashura knew too? “Your brother, your first brother Ashura, does he...know?”

“He does.” Madara spoke truthfully, there was no point in denial. “It is my understanding that Sakura, Ashura and I are all aware of our shared past and our shared sin.”

“The sin is yours! Yours and your disgusting brother’s!” Takeo growled. “She deserves better than you, she always has.” Takeo lowered his head and growled a low ominous vibration.

“The sin is ours, you are correct Master Wolf. My sin, for killing the former Elder Wolf.” Madara bowed low to the wolf. It was clear to him now. Madara understood why Shizuka...hadn’t told either of them, none of them, what kind of summons she had. “I am not the same man I was. She is not the same woman.”

“...and your brother? Is he the same man that stole your own acquisition from your tainted bed?” Takeo demanded, sitting down, his tail swishing violently back and forth as he waited for the maggot to respond. He admits openly, he admitted he had killed his grandfather...

“I, can not say for certain.” Madara said with sincere honesty. “I am watching him though. I will not make the same mistakes Master Wolf.”

Madara paused.” It is no excuse but I was not myself in my past life when I signed your contract. I will make amends, if I am able.”

Takeo kept his eyes narrowed, his mane and scruff bristled with indignation that the man who had done such horrible things could speak to him with such sincerity, and speak to him with such conviction about rectifying his past wrongs.

“She’s already forgiven you hasn’t she.” Takeo was deflated. “She’s already spoken to you of this hasn’t she.”

Madara nodded.

“Ashura? Has she spoken to Ashura of this as well?” Takeo asked hesitantly, fearful of what the Uchiha might say.

“No, but I am positive she had every intention of doing so. They have...not had much time alone together since we started building Konoha.” Madara held Takeo’s gaze.

“See that she doesn’t.” Takeo looked over his shoulder to the West. “I must go. I wish to reach her before the storm subsides so that I may be of assistance to her.”

Takeo turned his eyes back onto Madara who inclined his head to the wolf and smiled. Takeo blinked.

“Thank you Master Wolf, for delivering Sakura’s message for me.” Madara nodded to the wolf.

Takeo sighed. “Is there...uh, anything you wish for me to tell Sakura for you, Lord Uchiha?”

Madara smiled at the effort. “Tell her that if she needs me, all she need do is call for me, and I will come.”

“Takeo.” Takeo was satisfied, for now. “My name...is Takeo of the Wilds, Lord Uchiha.”

“Takeo of the Wilds.” Madara repeated Takeo’s name to himself. “A bold and fitting name for such a loyal and protective friend.” Madara acknowledged Takeo’s loyalty to Sakura with respect.

“Family. We are not friends, we are pack.” Takeo stood and shook his fur into order, turned once and walked a few paces to the West. “If she calls for you. I will come get you for her.”

Madara watched the large wolf run into the trees and vanish.

“So, Sakura’s summons are the Wolves of the Wild.” Izuna spoke from behind his brother sliding the back door to the porch open and looking out into the empty woods behind their home. “Konoha, is that what you named the village brother?” Izuna asked hesitantly, as though hoping he had heard his brother incorrectly, but he knew, he hadn’t.

“Yes, Konohagakure.” Madara smiled and turned to look at Izuna. 

“Izuna, are you unwell?” Madara took a few paces toward his brother who had gone white.

“Ko no ha.” Izuna said each syllable carefully, his fingers rubbing against the smooth round gold coin in his pocket. “That’s where Sakura told me she was from, at the inn, in Tanzaku Madara.”

Shit, Madara bit the inside of his cheek.

“Brother...how can Sakura be from a village...we’re still building and how did she know about it before...we did?” Izuna’s eyes were getting bigger and bigger, wider and wider as his mind filled in the impossible blanks.

“Come Izuna, there is much we need to speak about. Over tea.” Madara gently guided his younger brother back through the back door to their home and slid the door shut behind them. “Or perhaps a large bottle of Sake.”

“Tobi?” Hashirama knocked lightly on the outside panel of his brother’s room.

“Come in.” Tobirama’s voice was muffled.

Hashirama slid his brother’s bedroom door open and stepped inside. Tobirama was sitting on the end of his bed lacing his shin guards onto his legs, the rest of his armor stood beside him on his rack by his bed.

“What, what are you doing Tobi?” Hashirama asked his brother curiously. “The wars are over, at least with the Uchiha.” He laughed nervously. 

Had his brother realized his intent, had he been found out? Hashirama had thought it only a matter of time before Tobirama had questioned him or challenged him about the woman. He knew he could hide his intent from everyone else, but Tobi.

“No.” Tobirama moved to lift his arm guards from the rack and began tying them to his forearms carefully. “I must leave. I will return as soon as I can.”

Hashirama looked up from the armour rack he had been staring at, to look more closely at his brother. The last time he had left him a note saying he needed to do something and that he would be back as soon as he could...he had followed Sakura to Tanzaku Town and had returned with her close friendship...something that Hashirama, if he were honest with himself...was quite jealous of.

“Tobirama.” Hashirama moved to stand before his brother using his full name, something he rarely did. “What has happened? Is it...Sakura?”

Tobirama pulled the last cord of his left arm guard with his teeth and tucked the end in under the guard against his sleeve before answering his brother. They hadn’t argued or held their individual affections for Sakura against one another. Hashirama was to marry Mito Uzumaki and had given Tobirama his blessing to court the woman, but that didn’t mean his brother had stopped aching for her, and Tobirama knew that.

“I can feel her presence brother, just outside the Land of Fire.” Tobirama paused unsure of how to tell his brother, or how much he should tell him. “She is...in the Land of Wind.”

“Wind?” Hashirama had felt her signature moving earlier but had lost track of it. He had assumed she had gone back to the place of her summons she was bonding with but clearly he had been mistaken. Tobirama was the best of sensors in the Senju Clan, possibly the best sensor in the world at the moment. He would know where she was if…

“Is she not masking her chakra signature, as faint as it is, she is obviously still detectable to other shinobi who may be closer to her than we are.” This was bad. “Why in the world is she in the Land of Wind? Why would she leave the Land of Fire without telling anyone?” 

Hashirama didn’t understand. Sakura wasn’t the impulsive type. She had always been so cautious, so careful to circle three four or even five times before returning to her cabin in the month he had watched her...to make sure it was really her.

“Her signature is not masked. That is why I must go.” Tobirama wound his straight sword in banded silk and strapped it to his back, tying the ends across his chest. “I am not the only one who has noticed her, she is being followed and I do not think she is aware of their presence. I can barely feel them myself. I only recognized their signatures because...I was...feeling for her chakra pulsation earlier because…”

Hashirama frowned. “Because?” He prompted his brother.

“I missed her.” Tobirama said quietly and walked out of his room leaving his brother behind to stare at the floor in silence.

“You miss her.” Hashirama clenched his fists together. She was doing it again. 

“Damn you Shizuka, you....bitch. They all think they know you, they all love you and yet I am the only one who knows the real you. I am the only one who...could show you who you really were!” Hashirama grit his teeth. If he remembered...she must as well.

“What will you do Shizuka, now that you remember what really happened between us...how will you tell them?” He looked out the window, west. He could see the faint glint of his younger brother’s armor in the late afternoon light. “What will you tell Tobirama?”

_“Ashura, please, don’t you know that, I know that you love me Ashura, please there must be another way.” Shizuka’s tears tormented him._

_“I can’t go against my father, it's already been signed, the contract, you know that.” Ashura squeezed her hand, stood and walked away from the first girl he had ever loved. “He named me heir over Indra.”_

_“Ashura!” Shizuka leapt to her feet and ran after her childhood friend. “I’ll never forget you.” She whispered into the back of his neck, her arms wrapped around his middle, her face pressed against his back._

_“I wish you happiness Ashura...in your marriage.” Her arms dropped from his waist. He could feel her warmth leaving his skin. He could feel the love slipping from the broken cracks of his fragile heart._

_“I just...want you to be happy.” She ran._

_“Shizuka…” Ashura turned quickly, his hand darting out, fingers gathering the fabric of her sleeve and pulled the girl back to his chest, bent his head and kissed her one last time. “You will be the only girl, I will ever truly love, no matter who warms my bed, my heart belongs to you.”_

_He looked down into wet green eyes the color of spring moss. His hands sifted through soft dark pink strands, the color of love, the color that stained his cheeks when he thought of her, he almost wept. “Goodbye Shizuka.”_

_Shizuka watched as the clan heir to the powerful Otsutsuki Clan bent low from the waist, giving a peasant born girl more honor and respect than she deserved, straighten, and walk stiffly away from her._

_Each step tore a small piece of his heart. Each stifled whimper from her lips added another stinging pain to his head. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her. He hadn’t meant to fall in love with her. He knew he would never be able to marry her and yet...he also knew for him, there would never be anyone else for him but her._

_They had met in the Spring._

_She had been picking flowers by the river. He had been practicing his walking on water technique. They had been 5 years old. He had run away from the Otsutsuki compound again, tired of the constant training. She had come because her mother had just died, lost while giving birth to a sister she would never get to meet. A mother she never got to say goodbye to...like everything, it was so unfair._

_“Who are you picking flowers for?” He had asked her, walking up behind her, scaring her half to death._

_“For my mother and my baby sister.” She had told him after he had helped her pick her flowers up, sitting on the rocks beside the river, side by side._

_“Who do you train for?” She smiled a soft knowing smile at him._

_“My clan.” He told her. “I am a practitioner of ninshu.” He said proudly._

_“Nice to meet you, ninshu san.” Sakura had picked a fragile white flower from her bouquet and tucked it in place behind his ear._

_Her smile...had been brighter than the sun._

_They had eventually had to leave. With a hug, he promised her, he would be back, he would see her again and to come to the river when she could...to see him. She promised, she laughed and pushed the short pink hair from her face smiling at him, warming his soul with her laughter._

_She had no idea what it had meant to him, her warmth._

_They met when they could, sleeping with one another under the stars, telling one another their dreams, their deepest desires, their greatest fears...and their hope for the future._

_The years passed._

_On his 16th birthday, he was standing by the river when she arrived, his fists clenched at his sides._

_“Ashura?” Shizuka stepped up beside him and took his hand in hers like she usually did and laid her head on his shoulder. “I’ve missed you.”_

_“I’ve missed you.” He choked. “I have news.”_

_“News? Is it...the neighboring clan? Is Indra?” She clasped her hands to her mouth._

_“No! No…” He assured her, she had thought the worst, of course she had...she always worried for those around her, never for herself. She was the most selfless person he had ever met. It was why he...why he...loved her so much. There were too many selfish people to count and not enough selfless ones. It made him sick._

_“On my seventeenth birthday...my father, has ordered me to take a bride from our cousin clan.” Ashura choked the words out. His stomach flipped, he turned away and vomited into the rocks beside the river._

_He was so ashamed._

_He had killed men in battle. He was considered a man, a ninshu master and a warrior. He was Ashura Otsutsuki the heir to the Otsutsuki clan, the most skilled of his generation...the only wood style user in the entire world and yet…_

_...he could not tell her goodbye like a real man._

_He ran, leaving her behind on the rocks by their river, tears running down her beautiful face._

_A year later..._

_He had gone there looking for Shizuka, but had found...loneliness instead. A poor substitute and yet...he had held onto it, embracing it thinking that she was just as lonely without him as he was without her._

_She had never come back to the river. He had never had the opportunity to tell her...his intended had been killed by Indra’s new clan in one of their endless wars. It had been an accident, but it had freed him of his obligation._

_Ashura had always hoped...he would go to the river and see her, on the rocks waiting for him so he could tell her...now, he could marry her, that he would go against his father, his clan because...because he had tried it their way, he had tried to be the man they had wanted him to be but...he was nothing, without her._

_...but she never came._

_Then, one day he had been walking in the woods and saw her. His heart leapt in his chest. Her hair had grown out, long, past her waist. Her eyes were an even more beautiful green. Her hair had darkened as she had matured...but she hadn’t been alone._

_As Ashura had stepped out to call out to her, a man had stepped out of the forest behind her and...embraced her. A man with white hair and grey eyes the color of slate. Ashura’s heart clenched in his chest._

_She had...forgotten him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -My challenge still stands-


	48. Note to Readers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for those who got excited that this was another chapter...I am working on it now.

This has gotten out of hand. 

Thank you to all who took the time and put forth the effort to comment good or bad, opinion or encouragement.

I took the original offending comment very hard. I have been on no sleep for reasons most of you know, I started a new position at work as I put in the notes as a way of apology that I would not be updating as frequently. There were many factors that went into why the comment was not received as constructive. I am aware that the person did not intend offense, my point was..."If you do not have anything nice to say, do not say anything at all."

I am actually a very confrontation person in the over all reality of life. My own personal life experience has taught me I must be that way to survive when the situation calls for it. I want it noted, there were no hostile words exchanged between author and original commentator, in the begining...and after, I chose to remove myself from commenting as it would only push for more hostility. Forcefully, challenging, but not hostile. I challenged them to finish the story at the same update rate as I have and to produce the same quality of output.

...because I really wanted to read what they came up with...because I wanted them to step into my shoes and see how difficult it can be...because they felt so strongly about my own writing and had so much to say about it.

We were both wrong. We were both right, but it really doesn't matter does it? No, not really. What matters is that the sun rises and sets, that life goes on. 

I am sensitive about my work and was not being objective, but that is the risk I take when posting on a public forum. 

This is not an apology but an admission of understanding to the original commentator.

Excuses can be made and accepted, but the reality is...there is a real person behind this story, there is a real person behind that commenter.

All of the responses to 'this' have been enlightening.

Please stop arguing, there are more important things to focus on in life than this. One more thing though...as confrontational as I am, I have also learned...sometimes the best way to express an opinion is to remain silent. I am not telling anyone to shut up, I do not want further misunderstandings. However, sometimes you say more by saying nothing at all...of course that can't really apply to online fan fic lol because no one would know but you...but then again that might be interesting. I'm rambling now.

\---as a side note to this. I will update when I can. I am not going to kill myself to get updates out. No one asked me to kill myself to get them out, I know, I love doing it heh.

...no more angst okay? Hug a tree or kick a small woodland creature if you're still mad.


	49. Chapter 49

...he remembered.

“She had forgotten me.” Hashirama said to the now empty room. “I never stopped loving her and she...forgot about me and found...someone else.” His fists clenched at his sides.

The pain...it had been a lifetime ago and yet, the pain...remained. Bitter, he was bitter and he knew it but he didn’t care...

He had been so lost. He had been so lonely for years without her and she had...moved on like he hadn’t meant a thing to her. Hashirama thought she had been suffering. He thought that his pain, as agonizing as it was, couldn’t possibly hurt as much as she must be hurting knowing he was to marry another. He had felt guilt on levels he hadn’t even known had existed.

He had blamed himself. It was his fault. If he had been born into a lesser clan then maybe...it was all his fault.

Hashirama turned away from the window. He had made her suffer, like he had suffered. She had felt loss, like he had felt when he had lost her, like he had thought they had endured together...he had told Indra to go to the woods that day, knowing...how Indra felt about her.

Like Ashura, Indra had met her by the river and had come home to tell his brother of the beautiful Tennyo he had met. Ashura congratulated his brother and bid him watch the Tennyo, knowing full well what he was doing. He would use his brother to rid him of his pest, the blame would not be his.

_“Tennyo are tricky.” He had warned Indra. “They look like regular women, but they steal your hearts and suck out your soul. Are you sure she is a Tennyo?” He teased Indra._

_“Nonsense.” Indra had waved his brother’s warning off. He didn’t believe in such ridiculous superstition. “I want to talk to her.”_

_“Then talk to her.” Ashura rolled his eyes as though he didn’t care._

_...and he did._

_Indra and Shizuka became friends, good friends..._

_Ashura watched from afar as Indra became more and more obsessed with Shizuka. He knew an opportunity would eventually present itself...and it did. For several weeks Shizuka had been meeting Ashitoke in the woods, in secret._

_His time to make his move had come._

_Ashura laid the board and Indra became his knight, killing Ashitoke Hatake and clearing his path to the queen._

_Ashura had let his brother have his reward. Sakura had fallen into his brother’s arms in her grief, shared his bed and warmed his heart, but it was only temporary...she had always been meant to be with Ashura because that is how he had planned it._

_When Indra had told Ashura that he wanted permission to marry Shizuka, Ashura knew he had let this go on too long. He knew Shizuka cared for Indra and Indra loved Shizuka. It was his own fault...he had a proposition for his brother._

_Indra was his brother and he loved him. He wasn’t sure if it was love or remorse but Ashura felt he should offer an amendment._

_“We can share her. There is precedent for such things to ensure an heir.” Ashura had suggested to Indra._

_“No. I will not share my wife. Not even with you brother.” Indra had told him, dashing Ashura’s generosity to the floor._

_“Very well.” Ashura’s heart turned cold. He had given Indra the opportunity to be a part of her life. If the fool refused his generous offer...so be it. Shizuka was never meant to be Indra’s, she had always been meant to be his...Ashura’s wife._

_By the time Indra had found them, it had been too late. By the time the pack had returned to the den, their marriage had already been consummate, several times over. She had been unwilling, confused, hurt and angry but he thought...he knew, she would accept her fate with time. She had loved him once, she would love him again._

_He had won...only fate, was not kind. That night as he lay down beside Shizuka and kissed her tear stained face good night, he never would have guessed he would wake to an empty bed._

_Shizuka had vanished without a trace and was never seen again._

Hashirama walked down the main hall of the Senju main house toward the kitchens, his thoughts a menacing companion.

The whispers had followed him for years. There were some who thought Indra had killed Shizuka, others thought Hashirama had killed her and some...a few, thought she had killed herself to escape the obsessive affections of the Otsutsuki brothers.

...perhaps, they had all been correct.

Ashura never thought he would see her again until one evening, while sitting under the stars and the most beautiful full moon, he had closed his eyes and prayed. 

_“I just want to see her again, in this life or the next, just one more time, to hold her, touch her, kiss her lips and to tell her...how lost I was without her.”_

Kami had answered his prayers. That night, he had begun to dream, each dream was about Shizuka, each one about a different time and place, but always him and always her...for better or for worse, his window into all of their lives. Sometimes they were together, sometimes she had chosen elsewhere, but...he got to see her again, if only in his dreams.

Hashirama picked up the hot kettle from the coals in the kitchen and poured boiling water into his wooden mug. He had never told Madara about his dreams. He had never asked Madara if he had dreams of the woman they both loved either. Hashirama pulled the jar of herbs from the shelf and added two pinches to his cup and stirred.

He had never told Madara, that he was the reincarnation of Ashura and he knew that Madara was the reincarnation of Indra, that they really were brothers and that was their connection, that was their bond. No, Hashirama never told Madara about the sins of their last life...because this was a new life and there was no Shizuka to tear them apart in this one. Until…

That day he had found her in the woods filling her cook pot by the Naka River.

_The air was changing, he could feel spring in his bones. It had always been like that, even when he was a boy. Spring, was his. Like usual, his thoughts turned to Shizuka. She...was his eternal spring. Hashirama sighed._

_That, was another life. In this life, there was only the season, only the spring of the flowers, the river and the deer of the forest. This spring was fleeting...there was nothing sacred about this spring._

_With care, Hashirama made his way to the river's edge. He had come here for many reasons. He had many memories of this river. Shizuka, Madara...too many. His calloused palm rested against the hardened bark of the closest tree. He sighed and looked out past the trees of the forest to the river. The water danced over the rocks and sparkled as it crashed in upon itself, flowing, down and way, always moving._

_He closed his eyes. Sometimes, in his waking hours...he could see her, a glimmer of hope among the rocks, a flash of pink in his peripheral…”Shizuka.”_

_Hashirama opened his eyes and gasped. She was there, by the water’s edge.  
Right._

_Where._

_He._

_Had._

_Left._

_Her._

_...a lifetime ago after telling her he had to marry someone else._

_“Shizuka.” He inhaled, he breathed...he hoped. “No.”_

_...fate was cruel._

_It wasn’t her and yet...those eyes that hair...it wasn’t a replica, but it was close...he had been reincarnated, maybe...he froze. The woman had looked up. He made the hand signs of concealing. Had she seen him? No, she turned...he followed._

_She has the same and yet she was so different, it was Shizuka he could feel the pulsation of her chakra, he could feel his signature that he left behind. There were too many questions without any answers. He had so much to say to her he had no idea where to begin, did she know, when did she recognize, what was she doing here ,where had she been…_

_She was more cautious than he remembered having walked around the forest several times before circling back to an old dilapidated run-down cabin. She was cautious. Why was she so cautious, what had made her this way... what had she been through, what life had she lived without him, what experiences had he not been a part of._

_Was she the same person that she was? Does she still love him, does she still remember him, was she alone and how did she get here… How long had she been here... he should have noticed her before. She couldn’t have been here that long._

_He was scared he realized. He was frightened. What if she rejected him again, what if she didn't remember, what if she didn't know . Maybe that was good though maybe this time they could start over again, maybe this time it would be better. He could love her this time the way he had wanted to love her then. He wouldn't let anyone interfere, he would not make the same mistakes he had made in the past._

Tobirama leapt from branch to branch towards the desert west of Konoha. He could feel her signature growing with each step that he took toward her minuscule pulsing signature that pulsed with such intensity that it called out to him. He wondered why she wasn’t suppressing it. He wondered why it was so much stronger. Was her seal, the one she had told him her friend had placed on her...weakening? That didn’t matter though, they had other things to speak of first.

He had seen the way the Uchiha had looked at her and how she had...started looking back at him...

He didn't know when his feelings for her had changed. At first she had been nothing but an annoyance that had kept his brother from his work and responsibilities. 

...but as he began to watch her, as he began to talk to her and get to know her, his curiosity slowly became interest, affection and desire.

The time that they spent together in Tanzaku had shown him what kind of person Sakura was. She was a humanitarian, a kunoichi, a doctor and a Healer. He had never met anyone like her before and he doubted he would ever meet anyone like her again.

She was not put off by his social awkwardness, his gruffness or his blunt attitude. She didn't back down from his opinion. She had a quick mind and a sharp tongue. He realized he had grown to admire her. 

His world until that point consisted of war, blood, fighting, training, war, more blood and his brother. She was a breath of fresh air. At first it had choked him. At first it had put him on edge, but now he found he didn't want to breathe without her, now he found the sensation of breathing without her quite unpleasant.

Tobirama wasn't as naïve or as unassuming as many people thought he was. He didn't know anything about love, he didn't know anything about women. He thought that was okay though because Sakura wasn't like most women. with her he could speak his mind without fear of being misunderstood. He could give his opinion freely without worry of offending, and if he did offend her, he could count on her brutal honesty and instant retaliation.

Hashirama had given him his blessing to court her, he had given her a necklace that she had accepted, in his mind, they were as good as married... he realized however recently, he’d been mistaken. He had failed to make his intentions clear because it was just as clear to him that she did not consider them engaged to be married. The way she looked at Madara Uchiha proved that.

He knew, Sakura was a good woman. Once her loyalty was given, she would not stray. She, did not consider them...together.

Was it the time difference, the cultural change... he knew things were different in her time by her words by her actions. Her personality alone gave him a small window into exactly how different her times were from his. 

His thoughts strayed to his brother as he ran into the desert. He could tell that Hashirama had come to him with something to say, and just as he knew his brother wished to speak with him, he knew he did not want to hear what he had to tell him.

Hashirama might believe he was ignorant to his intent, his brother might believe that he didn't understand him. This was not true however, Tobirama understood Hashirama very well. Tobirama had always been able to feel his brother's intentions, his desires, his wants and his feelings above anyone else's. 

He was aware of his brother's feelings for Sakura which is why he had gone to such great pains to explain his own feelings for the woman.

He only hoped that it was enough logic, had a way of rearing its ugly head and Tobirama was a very logical man. He knew the only one that could solve this problem was Sakura herself. 

Tobirama also knew there was more to the relationship between Madara and Hashirama than he could see, he needed answers and she was the only one that could give them to him. He wasn't sure when or how it happened but Sakura seemed to have become the central point to all of their worlds, all their desires and all of their ambitions. He needed to talk to her. He needed to explain to her exactly how he felt about her and to know...exactly how she felt about him.

Ultimately the choice was hers. If she chose to direct her affections elsewhere he would step aside. He would respect her decision. Love was not always gratifying. He knew this through experience. they were Shinobi, they endured blood war and loss, love was no different.

Takeo’s paws bounded soundlessly across the desert, sand skirting sporadically from his back legs as he ran toward Sakura and her cave. He could smell her scent through her barrier. He knew exactly where she was, where she was waiting for him.

He had delivered his message to the Uchiha as she had requested. The man's attitude perplexed Takeo. He was not the Indra that he remembered. He would ask Sakura. She had forgiven the man for his past sins. Is that why she had forgiven him because she had seen this change in him to…

Takeo wasn't sure how he felt about this. He wanted Sakura to be safe. He wanted her to be happy. If Madara Uchiha made Sakura happy could he stand by, could he let her go, let someone else love her the way he loved her... the way Kakashi loved her after everything they have done for her... he had told her it was her choice and he had meant it... he had told her he would love her no matter what and he had meant it…

... but to watch her love and laugh and live with someone else before his very eyes, could he do that.

His paws slowed to a minute steady beat as he approached the cave. He couldn't see her beyond her barrier but he could smell her. The recognition of her scent made him smile.

Sakura’s head lifted from the herbal she had been reading to look past her barrier. She could see Takeo standing outside of her cave. She made the hand signs to lower her barrier as she watched him shrink before her eyes.

“I see that Shiko delivered my message successfully.” She smiled at her friend.

“...and I in turn delivered your message to the Uchiha as you requested.” Takeo stepped further into the cave and shook the sand out of his fur.

“I have questions.” He said bluntly

“I imagine you do.” Sakura smiled at him and looked out of the mouth of the cave. She made her hand sign for another protection Jutsu. “It looks like we have a bit of time before the storm passes. I'm glad you made it here okay.”

Sakura reached her arms out to her friend and hugged him around the neck burying her face in his soft black fur. “ I'm glad you came. So then what are these questions of yours I can only imagine what they may be after delivering my message to Madara.”

He realized then why she chose to send him to deliver her message, she could have sent Shiko, but she hadn't she had specifically requested him to deliver her message to the Uchiha. “I understand”

“You always were the clever one weren't you Shizuka.” He rolled his eyes.

“ You didn't believe me when I told you he wasn't the same man that he has been but he is not the same man that killed the previous Elder wolf. Seeing is believing and I knew that you, Takeo, needed to see the change in him with your own keen eyes.” Her green eyes crinkled into joyous smiles.

“Ass” He muttered under his breath.

Vindicated, Sakura pulled her food storage scroll from her pouch. “let's eat dinner, now that you're here we can move through the night, your eyesight is much better than mine.”

Takeo relaxed, some of the tension that he hadn't realized he had in his muscles dissipated. She wanted him with her. She wasn't leaving him behind again, they were a team again. He was pleased. He was content. 

He had only ever wanted to be by her side, to be there if she needed him. If she chose to love elsewhere he would not blame her. Takeo watched her pull fish from her food storage scroll, string it with wire over the fire and sighed happily. She was...happy he realized.

This is the way it was meant to be. Maybe this is the way he had been meant to love her. He had gone against the principles of time, against the laws of nature, soul and body to be with her, but maybe this was enough to be with her in this way... to remain by her side.

Takeo watched Sakura sit back and stare at the fire, her eyes intense. Clearly she was deep in thought. He wondered what she was thinking about, who she was thinking about and what in the world had made her impulsively run off into the desert to look for the one tailed beast Shukaku.

“You're probably wondering why I'm doing this aren't you?” It was as though she could read his mind.

“I admit curiosity, it's not like you at all to make such a rash decision without any forethought.” He admitted.

“To leave was rash and impulsive for me, yes. However, the decision to talk to Shukaku was not rash or impulsive in the least. I have given this much thought and I believe it is the right decision. I spoke of you before about not repeating the mistakes of our past.” She looked up from the fire, her green eyes intense with the depth and severity of her thoughts and intentions.

“This is an opportunity not only for me but for the world.” She began slowly.

“When I realized who I was and where I was, I began to wonder, what exactly is my responsibility being here as someone from the future, that knows things that no one in this time should know.”

“What is my obligation to my future self, to my future friends and family and Village, to the world?” She continued.

“Who am I but one lone kunoichi who was forced back through the tendrils of time with no intent or predisposition to change anything at all.” She wasn’t really asking him, he knew it was rhetorical.

Sakura ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. “I know I can't change everything. I know there are many things that shouldn't be changed. I would not be the person I am today if I had not suffered if I had not bled, wept, or felt the pain that I felt. I am only strong because of those trials I know that.”

Her head turned to the mouth of the cave, someone was coming...quickly...ah, she thought to herself, so he had come. She had expected it to be Madara...this was a surprise. 

“...but there are some trials and some pain that need not be realized and if I can spare the world, my loved ones, my friends that pain... I will, that's why I'm here Takeo. that's why I'm doing this.” She explained her thoughts to her friend.

“You think capturing the tailed beasts because I doubt you're going to stop with the one tail... will change the world, will prevent the war, your war in the future. What are you really doing this for Sakura, are you really doing this for the ones you love? Or are you trying to prove yourself once again, that you're strong and deserve to stand beside them?” Takeo whispered.

Sakura’s breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t been expecting him to say that. “I don't belong here Takeo. I didn't belong with them then, I don’t belong with them now. I wasn't born into the role that I was forced to play then. I chose to play that role this time, just as I choose to protect the world I came from and all of those who will live in it even if I can no longer be a part of it.”

Takeo didn't understand but it didn't matter if he understood her intentions or her desire, he would stand beside her because that's what she needed and that's what he wanted. “You won’t be doing it alone.” He said simply.

“Thank you Takeo.” Sakura smiled.

Takeo’s head whipped around to the front of the cave. “Someone's here.”

Sakura’s protection jutsu fell down around them.

“Tobirama.” Sakura rose to her feet to greet him.

“Sakura.” Tobirama stepped into the cave, made the hand signs for the protection jutsu, resealing the cave behind him.


	50. Kintaro and Imoka Hatake

“She's from the future.” Izuna blinked at his brother.

“Sure she is.” he laughed again looking at his brother expectantly, expecting him to clarify what he had just said. surely he was joking, it was impossible for Sakura to be from the future.

“ It's the truth brother.” Madara stared back at his younger brother, he understood his confusion, his frustration, his disbelief. It was a fantastic tale, sometimes even he barely believed the absurdity of his own reality.

“...but that's impossible.” Izuna protested.

Madara laughed a good-humored laugh at his younger sibling and smiled. it had been such an enormous weight on his chest keeping these things from Izuna. he was relieved to finally be able to tell him, to explain to him, to share this part of him with his younger brother. “ I've learned not to underestimate her. wasn't it you who gave me that advice? the word impossible when it comes to Sakura simply does not exist” Madara laughed again.

“ ...but what does this mean? I don't understand. Why did she come back? How did she come back?” Izuna asked all the questions Madara had asked himself over and over again.

“This is where it gets a little complicated.” Madara scratched his chin thoughtfully, how could he even possibly begin to explain this to his younger brother what he barely understood himself. “An Uchiha from the future sent her back in a fit of jealousy using a seal of the Uzumaki dwarf time and space to his advantage.”

Madara paused, how should he continue…” my reincarnation... it's actually quite a long story.”

“Tell me.” Izuna crossed his arms over his chest, sat back in his chair, and waited. 

Madara ran his right hand through his hair in a show of agitation. “ I suppose you have a right to know what's going on around you, but know this Izuna... there is a history here that doesn't concern you, or your affections.” the only hope that younger brother would understand 

Madara paused again, choosing his words carefully. “ my memories are still coming back to me from my other life. This is as confusing for me as it is for her, as it is for Hashirama I imagine. try to understand as I explain the situation to you, that I knew none of it, I remembered nothing of it until recently And that I myself am still trying to accept and understand most of it.”

“ ...and Sakura, she knows, she remembers?” Izuna asked. He didn't know if he should be angry or not, he was shocked, he was frustrated and yet he couldn't bring himself to blame her, or his brother. 

“ I do not know precisely how much she remembers, but we have talked about the important parts and I believe we have formed an understanding, and acceptance of the sins of all of our past lives.” Madara tapped his fingers against the tabletop.

“Each of us only has one side to the puzzle, our own. it is hard to tell truth from intent, having only your side to look at as a reference.” Madara told his brother.

“ Tell me,” Izuna said again.

Madara nodded his head slowly, looked out the window of his office, and began speaking in a quiet voice, explaining the tale of three lovers from the time Hagoromo Otsutsuki. 

Several hours later, Izuna sat down hard beside the river. it was too much all at once, he couldn't even fathom how Sakura must feel, how his brother felt, or how Hashirama must feel. he realized after hearing his brother's sad tale there was no room in Sakura’s life for him.

With a sigh and a deep breath, Izuna crossed his arms around the back of his head, linked his fingers, and laid down in the soft grass beside the river. what a shame, he thought to himself. he had really grown to like her, knew he could have grown to love her, but he wasn't a fool. her heart was too full as it was, there was no room for him in her heart.

Briefly, Izuna thought of Tobirama Senju. Izuna chuckled to himself, he would have loved to have been there to see the look on the man's face when he found out what Izuna knew now. he wondered, who would be the one to tell the white-haired bastard. “ oh please let it be Sakura herself.” he chuckled again at the thought.

Tobirama stared at Takeo and Takeo stared back at Tobirama.

“ Your summons is the Great Wolf Clan of the Wilds.” Tobirama continued to stare at the black wolf beside Sakura.

“ Yes.” Sakura was amused.

Takeo’s eyes narrowed at the white-haired man across from them at their fire.

“ Somehow I'm not surprised.” Tobirama crossed his arms across his chest, let them fall to his sides, and nodded respectfully to the wolf.

Takeo looked from Sakura to tobirama. “ this is the younger brother that you've been spending your time with?” he huffed. he wasn't impressed. at least Hashirama was Clan head of the Senju, not some simple second brother. she could do better than either of these brothers.

“ I have.” Sakura gave Takeo an odd look. “ don't be so judgemental, he's a good friend. I expect you to treat him with the same respect he has shown you.” Sakura scolded.

Takeo’s fur bristled. “ have I said anything rude yet? I was merely making an observation while questioning his intent.”

The corner of Tobirama's mouth twitched in amusement. “ it's good to see if bonded so quickly.” He was impressed at the Wolves' loyalty to Sakura already.

The wolf snorted and Sakura bit her bottom lip between her teeth. before Sakura could begin to explain her bond with the Wolves of the wild tobirama cleared his throat.

“ You're probably wondering why I'm here. I felt your chakra signature earlier moving away from our village, west toward the land of wind.” tobirama began. “ I would not have come, I know you wished to be alone for these few days to bond with your summons, however, I also felt three other distinct chakra signatures following you into the desert.”

Sakura straightened in her seat. “ I was not aware, I haven't felt them at all.”

Tobirama nodded his head. “ I thought as much since you didn't attack me when I lowered your protection Jutsu. of course, you probably recognized my signature as familiar as we are with one another now.”

“I don't feel their signatures anymore and I haven't felt them since I entered the desert.” he explained. “ which means one of two things. I was mistaken in assuming they were following you. or, they sensed my presence and have hidden theirs.” 

“ I wonder why you could feel them and I could not” Sakura had become an even better sensor than she was before she had been sent back in time under Tobirama's tutelage, she ought to have been able to feel the same chakra signatures that he had, but she hadn’t. she found this extremely disturbing, what could it mean?

“ I thought you had come because you had found out I was looking for Shukaku, the one-tailed beast.” Sakura laughed offhandedly.

“ You’re... what?” Tobirama looked at her for confirmation. 

He hadn't known she realized. 

“ Why on Earth would you go looking for the one-tailed beast by yourself?” why was she looking for the one-tailed beast anyway what purpose did this mission serve…

“ She isn't alone she has me.” the wolf bristled indignation beside Sakura.

Sakura smiled faintly at her wolf friend, placing her head on top of his head, and scratching his ears. “ of course I'm not alone.”

Sakura looked at tobirama. “ I have Takeo.” she smiled sweetly.

“ Sakura.” tobirama began speaking in measured tones. “ I have faith in your abilities as a kunoichi however, even I would not attempt to capture the one-tailed beast, Shukaku of the desert.” tobirama said flatly.

“ Who said I was going to capture him. I have no intention of capturing him. I want to talk to him, I want to tell him the future as I have told you bits and pieces. I want to prevent war. I want to save lives. I don't want the tailed beasts imprisoned like they were in my time, like they will be in your time, and sold like commodities, like things, like objects. that is not the fate that I want for them. I am in a unique position to stop it before it has even begun.” she said in a voice just as flat and as challenging as his.

they sat in silence for a moment.

“ I apologize Sakura, I never should have expected anything less from you.” tobirama sat back in his seat and looked around the cave. “ I assume you're waiting out the storm”

His eyes fell onto the wolf beside her. “ I see you are in good hands, I will leave you then. I will scout the area and find out where those three unknown shinobi went.” tobirama Rose to his feet and bowed correctly to the wolf and then to the woman.

“ Be safe. I will take care of your followers if I am able, chances are I was mistaken because I was…” a blush of pink climbed up the side of Tobirama's neck, slowly reaching his ears and spreading along his cheeks. “ I was worried about you .”

“Thank you tobirama” she didn't know what else she could say to the man. not yet. The memories of her past lives were slowly coming back to her one at a time. She remembered things that she had forgotten, that she had hoped never to forget, as well as things she had hoped never to remember again.

Fate was so cruel sometimes. part of her longed Kakashi's Anbu seal once more and part of her was grateful it had been broken. 

“ I will see you back at the village Tobirama. don't worry I'll be fine. I have Takeo with me, and all the wolves of the wild behind me if I need them. I really am going to the desert to find Shukaku just to talk. if I'm successful I'll bring him home with me.” she smiled at his less than enthusiastic expression.

“ Hashirama will love that I'm sure.” tobirama said sarcastically.

“ Your brother is a…” Takeo began.

“ Enough now is not the time” Sakura looked down at the wolf, the warning clear in her eyes as it was in her voice.

“ My brother is a what wolf? speak your mind.” Tobirama turned from the cave mouth to look back at the wolf and the woman.

Takeo growled at what he saw as a challenge from the other male.

“ I said enough. I said now was not the time to discuss this. I will come to you tobirama when I return to the village. We will talk then I promise. I will explain everything. I owe you that much.” Sakura inclined her head, took the two steps that separated them, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hugged him lightly.” thank you for coming to check on me and for watching out for me.”

Tobirama blushed. “ it is nothing. I'll see you when you get back to the Village, take care.”

He had meant to speak to her about his feelings. he had meant to ask her about how she felt about him, but it didn't feel like the right moment. she said they were talking when she got back to the Village. it could wait until then. 

Sakura turned back to Takeo once tobirama had left the cave. “ it is not your place to speak to tobirama about his brother. I will speak to him about our shared past, our shared sins, and our history, do not bring that up again to tobirama.”

“ Shizuka, he needs to understand who is Brother really is…” Takeo began.

“ My name is Sakura and I told you that I would speak to him. There are other things we need to concentrate on right now. I'm relying on you to be my eyes, I need you to focus on the task ahead of us.” Sakura scratched his ears again. 

“ The fish should be ready. Let's eat, I want to get moving. if there are three unknown Shinobi following us I want to leave them behind as fast as possible. If he can, Tobirama will find them and take care of them for us. I have no doubt in his ability to do so however, should they elude him I don't want them following us to Shukaku. will need to travel fast.” she explained.

Takeo understood. “ They don't call us the Wolves of the Wild for nothing Sakura.” the wolf chuckled under his breath. “ we can run faster than the wind can blow. I will get you to where you need to be.”

“ I know you will.” Sakura pulled the fish by the wire from their fire. “ It's hot, let it cool.”

Hajime Hatake bent down low over the branch that he landed on, and ran his hand across the smooth bark. “ our destination lies in the desert.”

He turned his head to his two companions and nodded. “ Let's get moving there's a storm up ahead I don't want to lose her scent.”

“ Yes sir.” the men replied. Their Clan head hadn't told them why they were following this woman, what was so special about her, or why he had abandoned his intentions of scouting out the new Village they had heard about, the new Village they were considering joining. Hajime Hatake I told them he had a hunch, who are they to disagree with him when his hunches were usually right. 

One of the men stiffened as they entered the desert. As soon as their feet touched the sand his head went up and his eyes darted around. “ we're not alone it seems the younger Senju has detected our presence and is in pursuit.”

“ Has he really.” Hajime chuckled under his breath. He had heard that tobirama Senju was an excellent sensor. He was not disappointed. “ Let him follow us, let's see what he does. I doubt he will be following us much longer. Once we enter the desert, our trail will be much more difficult for him to track, and nearly impossible in the storm.”

The woman wasn't alone, he could smell the distinct smell of the wolf with her. they would need to proceed with caution. He had not forgotten who her summons was. He had full confidence that they could lose the younger Senju in the desert. Tobirama might be an excellent sensor but the Hatake were known for their abilities to cloak their own chakra signatures with their lightning release using it to burn away any and all traces of their existence.

Like before when he had found the woman floating in the river, he hadn't had any intentions of following her. However, when he had found that he had been followed by two members of his clan, he changed his mind. Leaving his observations of the new Village behind, he turned on his heel and followed the woman, accompanied by his left hand right hand, Kintaro and Imoka Hatake.

Tobirama crisscrossed slowly back and forth across the desert. Back toward the village that they had come from. He couldn't locate the three signatures that he had felt before. He was confident they had left the area. Moving carefully and methodically he made his way home checking for chakra signatures every few steps to assure himself that she was no longer being followed and that she would be safe.

Hashirama met him at the front door to the main house.

“ Did you find her? did you find Sakura Tobi” Hashirama asked his brother, sliding the door open behind him so that they could enter the house and speak more privately.

“ I did.” Tobirama entered the house with his brother. 

“ Hashirama.” Tobirama turned to face his brother once they were inside the house and the front door was shut behind them.

“ Her summons Hashirama, they are the Wolves of the Wild. I thought they were extinct if not a legend. what is Sakura doing with the Summons of the Wolves of the wild, of the sage of the six paths?” Tobirama asked his brother.

Hashirama's heartbeat forcefully and painfully in his chest. so, history repeats itself. those damn wolves, those damn nosey interfering pesky wolves. Did Madara know, Hashirama wondered? Did Madara know that the wolves have found their Shizuka again?

“ Are they.” Hashirama turned away from his brother and walked into the main room where the maid had set their dinner out for them. “ come eat tobirama. I have a story I'd like to share with you. it's a story about betrayal, murder, heartache, wolves, and reincarnation.”

Tobirama looked at the back of his brother’s head as he followed him into the main room. he could feel the darkness in his brother’s soul, he could feel the Dark Intent slipping out of the Cracks of his Brother’s heart and he wondered, was this the moment he found all the answers he had been looking for. Was his brother about to tell him everything he had never known but knew existed behind those soft brown eyes?

Tobirama took his seat across the table from his brother while the maid poured their tea for them and waited for his brother to speak.

“ I never thought I would need to share this part of my life with you but it seems fate will not allow me to avoid the unavoidable.” Hashirama began with a deep, a sigh, and a mournful look in his eyes.

“ I gave you my blessing to pursue Sakura and I do not regret my decision, but there are a few things that you should know about Sakura's past and my own before you continue your pursuit of her.” Hashirama looked up at his brother. 

“ I'm not saying this to hurt you, it was a dream I had given up long ago, a dream I never thought would happen again. sometimes it seems like I'm not living in this reality. sometimes it seems the life I left behind is molding into this one.” Hashirama sighed. He knew this was in vain. tobirama would never understand his feelings, even if he accepted the situation to be true... would he very much doubted his logical scientific brother would, he would never understand the depth of the feelings involved.

“ I've always been the kind of man that makes up his own right or his own wrong. I don't know if it's right or wrong... it doesn't really matter does it? I'm already making up my own right and making it my own wrong. I find that I can't let the past go and move on to the Future. For me, there is no past and there is no present, there's only her.” Hashirama looked down at his hands that lay on the tabletop as he told tobirama, everything…

Tobirama could hear the wind outside the window of the Senju main house. he could see the steam rise from his teacup that was sitting two inches from the tips of his fingers on the table. 

the silence between the two brothers had never been more deafening.

“ Do you really expect me to believe that, how can you expect me to believe that you and Madara Uchiha are reincarnations of Ashura and Indra Otsutsuki the sons of Legend the sage of six paths?” Tobirama demanded rising to his knees and slamming both of his fists down on the table.

Hashirama's eyes widened, he had never seen tobirama get angry before, he hadn't been expecting this kind of reaction from his normally controlled and focused brother.

“ Tobirama, listen to me.” Hashirama began again.

“ Listen to you, I have done nothing but listen to you since I sat down at the table.” Tobirama’s red eyes pierced through his chest, straight to his heart. “ I have heard everything you have said, and whether I believe it or not is not a factor.”

“ It's not?” Hashirama didn't understand. What his brother was trying to say to him.

“ Of course not Hashirama, my belief or disbelief in your words means very little overall. by your own admission, you not only touched Sakura against her will but drugged her to do so! have you no shame, have you no honor, you are not the man I thought you were. I have always seen the darkness in you, there was always an underlying evil intent and all of your actions and all of your words. Did you really think you were fooling me Hashirama, every time you smiled so brightly in my face, I could see the teeth behind your lips every time.” tobirama rose to his feet.

“ Whether your words are the truth or not it doesn't matter. you've chosen your path. nothing I say will change that, I know” tobirama straightened to his full stature and looked down at his brother sitting at the table. 

“What matters is you think the actions that you are taking are just. You think that because she belonged to you in a past life that she belongs to you in this one as well. how can you claim to love her and continue to think like that? even if you are the reincarnation of these people it doesn't mean you are the same people that you were then. a person's environment shapes them, molds them, helps make them who they are.” tobirama crossed his arms over his chest.

“ What you did in your past life doesn't matter, what matters is what you do now. choices of the past should not influence the choices that you make in the future, the choices you make now. tobirama left his brother sitting alone at the table and walked down the hallway to his room, shutting his door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used a voice to text program to write my last two chapters. Please let me know if you noticed a difference and if it was good or bad.
> 
> If it doesn't affect the overall content and read of the fic I want to continue using it. I can get more content out faster and it would be nice to come home and not type when I spent the last ten hours typing at work...lol
> 
> I don't want to lose my writing style for faster uploads though, so if it has changed, please let me know.
> 
> Don't worry, I'm really asking for opinions this time...and will not freak out...providing you don't bash my hair color or the way I eat mashed potatoes.
> 
> -Oh I see a bunch of errors. I'll go back and fix them later :) I might save time getting my thoughts out but triple my editing time lol.


	51. Shukaku a Tobi and an Izuna

Tobirama paced back and forth in his room. He didn't understand his brother. He hadn't expected to understand his brother, he thought maybe they could come to an understanding of sorts. However… Even as children, Tobirama never felt that he truly understood Hashirama, they had always been, too different. Their thoughts never seem to be the same, their feelings always seem to be the opposite of one another's.

He loved Hashirama, but this... he simply could not fathom the reasoning behind his brother's actions. How could Hashirama possibly think what he did was justifiable. How could you possibly think that was love. 

Tobirama had never claimed to know what love was, he himself wwould be the first to admit that he didn't know how to love someone, how to be loved by someone, but he knew what it meant to be both betrayed by someone you love and to lose them.

He felt like he was losing his brother right now, he felt like he had lost him years ago, there's a pain that was growing just behind this heart that he didn't understand. Hashirama, he thought to himself, how in the hell did you become so lost...

Tobirama stopped pacing and looked down at his feet. He watched the moon's rays cast lines along his bedroom floor. They were straight and even, they cut through the dark with their self sustained illumination. That, he thought to himself, was what Sakura was.

Sakura was illumination, self-illumination, surrounded by darkness.

Was that what called his brother to her. Was that why he couldn't let her go. She was the only light that had ever shown down and illuminated his world of self-created darkness…

Still, Tobirama thought it a very weak excuse. Tobirama, like his brother, had been raised in a time of war, blood, and death... yet Tobirama had never once felt the need to manipulate, plot, and connive so selfishly. What Hashirama had done was wrong, what Hashirama was doing was even worse. If he thought those words were true, his brother was an even more despicable man than he could possibly have imagined him to be.

It madeTobirama sick to his stomach. He couldn't stand being inside of the same walls as his brother any longer. He had to leave, he needed air, he needed to breathe.

Izuna tapped his fingers along the edge of his desk, looked out the wide sliding paper doors to the Uchiha main house Garden, and thought about his brother's words. He had spent the greater part of the evening walking along the river's edge contemplating Sakura’s woes. 

He couldn't even begin to imagine what the woman must be feeling, being ripped away from her own time, away from all the people she loved and cherished, to be thrown into a world such as the one she was in now.

Madara’s explanation or Sakura's existence answer many of the questions he had asked himself about her since they had met, questions he hadn't been brave or forward enough to ask her himself. 

That was why she knew how to make soldier pills, that was the reason behind her skill level as a female kunoichi, and that explained her sudden and vicious hatred for Danzo Shimura, an eleven-year-old boy.

Izuna got up from his chair, walked out onto the back porch, and slid his bedroom door open, then shut behind him. He walked along the path and into the woods, he wondered, what else did she know... how much would she tell them... and who would she choose.

He laughed to himself, what a juvenile question now, there were so many other more important things to take into consideration now that he knew more about her. Now that he knew who she was and where she was from... when. She wasn't the same Sakura to him that she had been just a moment ago, a week ago.

She must have thought him terribly naive and horribly foolish. A deep flush darkened his cheeks and warmed his neck. 

“ How embarrassing.” He muttered as he stepped off the main street and into the woods.

Being the younger brother of Madara Uchiha had never been an easy task, but being the younger brother of Madara Uchiha, the reincarnation of Indra Otsutsuki, and the past lover of the woman he had asked permission to pursue... was even more daunting. Izuna ran his fingers through his hair and chuckled to himself. He always picked the wrong woman.

“ What the hell have I been thinking?” Izuna continued to mutter to himself as he made his way to the river. “ What woman would look at me when she had men like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha as admirers.” 

She had been so beautiful, so tall in a world of flowers that had no stems... He had never met anyone like her before and he knew he would never meet anyone like her again. “ Oh well.” he sighed. It was a lost cause...

“ It was fun while it lasted. Maybe in another life”, he chuckled to himself, laying back in the grass by the river and looking up into the stars.

Hashirama poured himself another cup of sake. He hadn't moved from the table of the main room since his brother had left. He had wanted to be honest, he felt that if he explained himself to Tobirama well enough, that he might understand. He should have known better, he and Tobirama we're just too different.

Ever since they were children, it had always been this way... they had never seen eye-to-eye... they hardly ever agreed on anything... sometimes Hashirama wondered if Tobirama was really his brother.

He loved him and yet... they could never find any common ground. He knew Tobirama loved him and that he felt the same way, but knowing and understanding are two different things... that’s why he and Madara had made such good friends...they had more in common because they had been brothers first…

That relationship had also...ended poorly though...he sighed.

“ What will you do now Tobirama?” Hashirama lifted his cup to his lips and drink deeply. “ Will you be like Indra, or will you be like Ashitoke?” 

Hashirama filled his cup up once more. “ I'd hate to have to kill you if you got in my way.” Hashirama picked up his cup and drained it.

Tobirama sensed him before he could see him and hesitated. He had come to the river to be alone. He had no words to speak least of all to the younger Uchiha.

Izuna stood up straight and stretched his arms over his head, leaned backward, and closed his eyes. “ What brings you out here so late Tobirama?”

Izuna opened his eyes and looked over at the white-haired bastard, a slight smirk on his face.

“Nothing that concerns you Uchiha. In fact, I'd have walked the other way if I had known you were here.” Tobirama said with the same amused tone that Izuna add used when speaking to him.

Izuna laughed out loud, bent forward, and placed both of his hands on his knees. “ If you only knew what I knew.” He taunted the other man.

Tobirama narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha, did he know... or was he just bluffing, as usual, blowing himself up to make himself seem much more important than he was…

“ What do you know Uchiha?” Tobirama moved his arms behind his back and clasped his fingers together, looked over at Izuna, and smiled blandly.

Cocking his head to the side, Izuna considered the white-haired man beside him. Something was different about him tonight. He seemed...almost as depressed as Izuna felt.

Izuna chose his words very carefully…” I know that... Sakura will not choose you or me to be with, it seems our friendly competition is over even before it began.” Dark eyes watched red as he spoke.

Tobirama narrowed his red eyes at the man. “ Sakura will not choose you or I.” Tobirama considered the man's words…” ...and what exactly does that mean to you?” He inquired.

Izuna laughed out loud. “ You mean both of us, not just me, not just you... and perhaps our brothers.”

“ You know,” Tobirama turned to fully face Izuna.

“ I know.” Izuna nodded, holding his eyes with his own. Yes, they were speaking of the same thing.

“You don’t know…” Tobirama watched Izuna smirk. He was bluffing...

“Madara told me, as I imagine Hashriama told you?” Izuna asked casually scratching the side fo his head. “About Sakura, and where she is from?”

“You mean when?.” Tobirama asked, his eye twitching.

Izuna was too calm. Which made him wonder...did Madara know everything, for it must have been Madara to tell Izuna of their past, or perhaps Madara hadn’t thought Izuna needed to know...everything.

Izuna turned tot he Senju, his hands behind his head, his eyes dark. “Let’s make a deal. I’ll tell you what Madara told me if you tell me what Hashirama told you.”

Tobirama considered Izuna’s offer for a moment. “Deal.” Tobirama stuck his hand out to Izuna who took his forearm with his palm, Tobirama doing likewise. A deal was struck...

Sakura made the hand signs to remove her concealing jutsu from the mouth of the cave. “ Are you ready Takeo? “ She called out over her shoulder.

A blur of black shot out into the desert, ruffling the fabric of her clothes as he passed. Little by little, he grew to his full height before her eyes, dropping his head down to her eye level he grinned. “ I'm ready Sakura.”

Sakura laughed at her friend as she tied her pack onto her belt and slung her traveling bag over her shoulder, tying the ends together and across her chest. “ Good, I'm ready too. Let's go find Shukaku of the Desert.”

Takeo dropped his nose to the ground, allowing Sakura the climb up and sit on top of his head, her legs draped and either side of his ears, her fist in his fur. “ I still don't think this is a good idea, but I'm glad you are allowing me to accompany you.”

“ I couldn't leave you out of the fun could I?” Sakura laugh down at her friend who rolled his eyes.

“ Yeah yeah crazy lady, just do me a favor and make sure you hold on tight, I don't need you falling off and killing yourself. I have a feeling Lord Madara Uchiha would never forgive me.” He quipped back at her, tail swishing back and forth in anticipation of the hunt.

He could smell them. Apparently, Tobirama wasn't as good of a sensor as he thought he was. He wondered... would they just follow... or would they interfere? There was one thing to be said about the Hatake Clan, they never did what you thought they would do…

Should he tell her or...what would she do...

“ Unpredictable ass,” Takeo muttered under his breath. he thought the man had turned back, he didn't think he would follow her into the desert with his two clanmates... he didn't want Hajime to meet her too soon... what the hell was keeping Kakashi, why hasn't he contacted her yet?

“ Something wrong?” Sakura called down to a friend, she could have sworn he was muttering to himself.

“ Nothing's wrong, I just really hate the sand, it gets in between my paws and sticks in my fur.” The great bad wolf of the wild complained noisily over the desert wind.

“ You poor thing.” Sakura cooed softly into his ear. “ I promise to brush you when we're done, as a thank you, how about that?”

His ears perked up and his pace quickened.

” You promise?” He asked her hopefully.

“ I promise, as soon as we’ve talked to Shukaku and get back to the Wild, I'll brush all of your fur and clean your ears for you.” Sakura laughed lightheartedly, it was nice to be away from the village and back in the desert. It reminded her of her own time, her old missions...

“You’ve got yourself a deal woman.” Sand burst from the massive wolf’s paws as they raced out into the open desert toward the Temple of Shukaku, in southern wind country.

“Do you know where you're going, are you sure this is the right way. I think we're lost.” Takeo complained after they'd only been running for 30 minutes.

This is the right way.” Sakura assured him. Just keep running South and West.”

“If you say so, it looks the same to me. Everywhere I look sand and more sand.” He whined.

“ It's still another good hour before I will even get a visual on Shukaku’s temple.” Sakura explained. “ Just hang in there Takeo.”

The wolf muttered something disagreeable under his breath, but kept his head down and kept running. It was nice to be in the desert with Sakura and out of the Wild. It has been quite some time since they had been able to spend so much time alone, and he found that he was enjoying it very much. He hoped that she was enjoying their time together as well. 

He had been pleased when she had assumed he would accompany her, that she hadn't even had to ask, and he hadn't had to ask to join her. It was just like old times.

An hour and a half later, when the wind had died down, and the sand had stopped swirling around their heads, they saw it.

“ Is that it Sakura, is that his Temple?” Takeo raised his head and peered out into the distance. The heat of the desert was no more but the night still distorted the terrain. His fur was thick and kept him warm, he hoped Sakura was as comfortable as he was in her simple clothing.

He also hoped that the tanuki...was not at home.

“I believe it is, let's go find out.” Sakura grinned down at her friend.

“ Right .” Takeo was still apprehensive about her decision to hunt down the tailed beasts, but he was here, and he would help her if she needed it.

Night had fallen around them and the stars shone brightly in the sky as they approached the temple with caution. 

“Do you think he knows we're here?” Takeo asked her.

“ Of course he knows we're here, can't you feel the nervous energy rolling through the sand?” Sakura didn't seem bothered, but it made Takeo nervous.

“ Sakura, maybe we should come back in the morning.” He suggested.

“ Raccoons are nocturnal. it's best we come at night. it's more polite this way, we won't have to disturb my slumber... besides, he already knows we're here remember?” Sakura kept her hands to her face, with a quick glance back at her dark haired friend she called out clearly and loudly.

“ Shukaku of the sand, the one-tailed beast, friend to Hagoromo Otsutsuki... I am Sakura Haruno. I have something I wish to discuss with you. would you please consider coming out to meet me, I would like to say hello.” She waited, her fingers twitching at her side.

Without warning the sand began to move and shift under their feet. Sakura could hear gleeful dark laughter vibrating the walls of the nearby Temple, cutting through the night air, piercing her ears.

“ What is this?” An obnoxious voice called out on the temple dark. “A human and a wolf come to see me, how... interesting.”

Two glowing yellow crossed eyes peered out I'm the inner depths of the sand temple. “What would a wolf and human want to talk to me about I wonder. are you here to capture me, to enslave me, to use me for your own selfish gain?” Shukaku asked.

“ Not at all Shukaku. I am here because I want to save you from that fate. I have seen your future, I have seen all the tailed beasts future. I know because I have been there. We have met before.” Sakura said loudly and confidently. 

“I would have remembered you.” Shukaku took two steps forward, his front paws now visible in the moonlit doorway of is Temple.

“ Yes, you're a jinchuriki in the future, the Kazekage of Suna...that has yet to be built... told me once but you found me very attractive, so much in fact that he found it rather hard to concentrate on his mission because you wouldn't stop talking about me to him in his head.” Sakura put her hand on your hip and lean forward playfully, her smile wide, her eyes sparkling with merriment.

“I told you the truth when I said I am not here to imprison you. I am here to warn you. I am here to help you, because even if you don't remember, even if you don't know... I know what your future holds and for the friendship, I have with you in the future, I have come now, here in the past to help you... to help me... to help everyone.” Sakura explained.

Chicago moved out into the open Moonlight before the entrance of his Temple and look down at the pink-haired woman and her wolf. “ How do you know these things, what are you to know these things. Explain yourself.” Shukaku demanded.

“and here I was worried that you might not listen.” Sakura grinned up at her old friend.

Shukaku narrowed his eyes at the woman, she was far too confident for someone who is lying. He felt no deceit in her demeanor, saw only kindness and sincerity in her eyes. He had never had a human come to his temple before so merely wanted to talk, he was cautious, he was suspicious... he was curious.

“You came alone?” Shukaku asked her.

“ I'm not alone.” Sakura laid her hand on Takeo’s paw. “ My friend is with me.”

“ You consider your summons a friend?” Shukaku asked her suspiciously.

“More like family.” Sakura confessed. Takeo straightened up to us full height beside her, and look proud of himself.

“Well hot damn, I never thought I'd see the day when a human would consider their summons family. you're a strange one aren't you.” Shukaku began to cackle in Glee.

“you have no idea.” Takeo nudgedSakura playfully with his shoulder knocking her down into the sand.

Shukaku laughed out loud, his tail swishing behind him brushing up against the side of the Temple. “ Maybe, I have time to hear what you have to say.”

“Why the hell did you knock me over you ass, you don't have to shove me so hard you know.” Sakura jumped back up to her feet, her hands on her hips as she leaned forward and glared at Takeo.

Takeo smirked and nodded toward the Tanuki who was watching them with an amused look on his face. “ It seems he'll be receptive to what you have to say shouldn't you get started or are you going to stand there all night.” He teased her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reading this the next morning after posting, I see many mistakes. I will correct them...eventually.


	52. Chapter 52

Shukaku stared at the pink-haired woman sitting in the sand before him. “ You expect me to believe that load of shit?” The Tanuki asked, laughing uproariously. 

“ What do you take me for the Nine-Tails?” Shukaku snorted.

“We will be visiting him as well.” Sakura said seriously. “ You don't have to believe me. You don't have to do anything. I didn’t come here expecting anything from you Shukaku.”

Sakura smiled. “ I'm just glad you were willing to listen to me, thank you Shukaku.” 

Sakura rose to her feet and bowed low to the Tanuki, who stared at her with a look of mild surprise and amusement on his face. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of this strange woman with strangely colored hair. She didn’t seem afraid of him, she seemed to...know him and to...like him.

Takeo had noticed how the raccoon had stopped fidgeting halfway through Sakura's explanation of her history, how she came here, and how she knew what would happen in the future to the tailed beasts. He believed her, whether he wanted to admit it or not, Shukaku believed her.

Takeo hadn’t been expecting that. He had accompanied Sakura...fully expecting to fight the Tanuki’s attacks off, but...Shukaku hadn’t attacked her. He had laughed at her, growled at her, and scoffed at her...but he had also let her talk, and he had listened.

“We'll be going now, thank you for your time.” Sakura bowed again, turned, and gestured for Takeo to lower his head so she could climb up onto his back.

“You're leaving? That's it?” Shukaku straightened up and looked down at the pink-haired woman and her wolf. That's really all she had come to do... talk to him? He didn't understand and that made him angry. 

“ Why the hell would you come all the way out here in the middle of the desert to tell me that, what is your purpose, what do you gain by doing this?” He demanded. It had to be a trick there had to be another reason she had come all the way out here speak with him.

“ That's it.” Sakura looked down at the Tanuki from Takeo’s head. “I'm from Konoha, the village hidden in the leaves. It’s a new Shinobi Village to the North and the east of here. If you have questions, I don't know if I'll have answers but if you want to find me that's where I'll be.” Sakura smiled and waved over her shoulder at Shukaku as she and Takeo ran back out into the desert leaving him to the peace of his temple once more.

“ Well that went well,” Takeo said sarcastically.

“ Actually it really did go well. He might not have believed us at first and he might be in denial, but I think I've given him something to think about, I think he's at least considering my words and that’s more than I had hoped for.” Sakura said as she tightened her grip on Takeo’s scruff.

“Where would you like to go now Sakura?” Takeo asked her shaking his head lightly. Only she could approach the one-tail and walk away unscathed.

“let's go home to the forest, I have no desire to return to Konoha tonight.” Sakura lay down on his back and buried her face in his fur.

Takeo drew the corners of his gums back into a wild grin. “ As you wish.”

Sakura closed her eyes, enjoying the gentle rhythm of Takeo’s gait, as he ran through the desert toward home. She knew he had expected her to go after the other tailed beasts, and she would, in time. However, right now, she felt that Shukaku was enough. She wanted to see if he would come to her of his own volition. 

If he came to her, if he trusted her, if this was successful... she would take him with her to speak to the other tailed beasts. They would be more apt to speak with her, to listen to her if one of their own trusted her and stood at her side.

Sakura smile into Takeo’s fur... Gaara would be so proud of Shukaku. She was proud of Shukaku. She hadn’t told Takeo of her reservations, but she hadn’t been entirely confident that Shukaku wouldn’t attack her. It had been a risk to approach him like she had, even with the information she had gleaned from Gaara about Shukaku’s past, it had been a risk. A risk she had been willing tot ake though...and well worth her efforts.

Shukaku would come to her, eventually, she could feel it. He just needed time, time to think over her words, time to understand why she told him what she had...time to wonder.

They had almost made it to the edge of the desert, where the soil touched the sand when she felt an unusual chakra signature. A slightly familiar chakra signature.

“Takeo, do you feel that?” She asked the Great wolf.

Takeo hesitated. “ What is it Sakura do you sense something?”

“I could have sworn I felt... it was almost like…” Sakura stammered. Takeo had been the one to tell her Kakashi’s secret, he had been the one to explain how he was contacting her and how he had given her the summons scroll for the wolves... but she wasn't quite sure she wanted an audience for their last meeting...if it was him...it felt, like him.

“Takeo... I think I'll be going into the forest for the rest of the night, by myself,” She said quietly looking around. “ I hope you understand.” Sakura slid down the side of his back to the ground.

“ I'll contact you tomorrow or the day after, go back to the wild tell your father what I've done, tell the pack I'm okay, and that I'll come to visit them again soon.” Sakura turned her head to the forest, her eyes narrowed, searching. There, she said to herself, taking a step toward the chakra signature...there.

He understood what she was looking for but she was mistaken. It wasn't Kakashi's presence that she was sensing, it was Hajime’s. “ Shizuka.” Takeo began.

“ I told you my name is Sakura.” She reminded him with only a slight tinge of annoyance in her tone. “ leave me Takeo, I wish to walk the rest of the way on foot.”

“ The rest of the way where, where are you going tonight?” He wanted to know. He didn’t like the idea of leaving her in the forest by herself, not again.

“I haven't decided yet, I don't know.” She continued to look past him into the woods behind him, her voice trailing off absentmindedly.

He could tell she was distracted and only hoped that she wouldn't be too disappointed when she found out that the person she thought was Kakashi, was not her Kakashi, but his relative Hajime. 

Takeo ducked his head in understanding and what he hoped was reassurance. “ Call me if you need me and I will come.” He assured her before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Sakura waited until she was absolutely sure that Takeo had left before calling out into the seemingly empty space that surrounded her. 

“Kakashi is that you, I can feel your chakra why don't you come out.” Sakura called out to him.

No sound returned to her for her efforts, nothing moved... she stood alone in silence. She knew she hadn’t imagined it, she could still feel the slight pulsation of his chakra...but it was fading...she began to panic. Could he not come to her? Had he... 

“ Kakashi.” She called out to him again, her voice was small on the rising wind.

“I know you're there, I can feel your chakra as well as your intent... why are you hiding?” She was starting to get annoyed. Didn't he want to talk to her, didn’t he say that the next time would be the last time... why did he come all this way just to avoid her, through space and time. Would he squander their last meeting... or perhaps he didn’t have enough strength to...

Hajime lay low to the ground behind the scarce coverage of the thinning forest. Who was Kakashi and why did she mistake his chakra signature thiers …

The two Hatake clansmen, who were watching their clan leader with careful eyes, shared a curious look. Hajime was aware of his clansmen's curiosity, he knew that they didn't understand why he was following the woman, even he wasn't quite sure what had made him follow her.

There was something off about her, something strange and different. Her chakra was light and smooth, soft... but extremely foreign and misplaced. Her scent was comforting, but even that too, was strange. It was as though... she didn’t belong here. It bothered him because he couldn't quite figure out who or what she was.

Clearly, she was a kunoichi, and clearly, she was from the new shinobi village that he had heard so much about... but he had never met a shinobi who had a signed contract with the Wolves of the Wild, nor one with pink hair, green eyes, or a Yin seal on their forehead before. Was she an Uzumaki? He had heard the Land of Eddies was in turmoil, did she leave to live in the forest...is that why she had been alone when the Uchiha and the Senju had found her?

There were so many rumors about the woman, he wondered which ones were true and which ones were false. He realized...that was only part of the reason he had followed her, the other...being the slight unease he felt in her presence. The...not knowing.

At first, he had been intrigued by her beauty, at first, he had watched her for her pink hair, but the more he followed her, the warier he grew of her. He had lost her scent in the storm, only to catch up with her as she left the temple of Shukaku. What would a loan kunoichi and her summons be doing at the temple of Shukaku?

Nothing the woman did made sense to him.

Hajime drew his chakra back in and around himself extinguishing all traces with his lightning release. He would send his two companions home and follow the kunoichi alone. He wanted to see...would she follow thier chakra trail, or stay on her course… 

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the other two men, his eyes never leaving the small figure standing with one foot in the sand and one foot on the soil. Her head rose and turned...she felt them leaving, moving and stayed. Hajime watched as she ducked her head, swiped at her eyes, and turned back toward his location...could she...still sense him?

Impossible...

Izuna looked at Tobirama in utter disbelief. 

If anyone else had been the one to tell him such outlandish claims he would not have believed them. The weight of the words, however, coming from the younger brother of the Kami of War outweighed thier own considerable weight. It was as irrefutable as it was shocking. 

Izuna didn’t know what to say. He didn't even know how to feel. So he said the only thing that he could think of, “ Are you sure, do you believe him?”

Tobirama shook his head, did he believe Hashirama…” I believe he is obsessed with Sakura, but I don’t believe he is the reincarnation of Ashura Otsutsuki. There is no proof.” Tobirama said stubbornly.

Izuna frowned. He hadn’t really answered his question, at least not to Izuna’s satisfaction.

Tobirama hadn’t told Izuna everything that Hashriama had told him. He didn’t owe the Uchiha an explanation, or the truth. He hadn’t lied but...he had left out some of the more...disagreeable admissions his brother had given him. 

Peace between the Senju and the Uchiha had been hard-won, he wouldn’t risk the alliance over something that...wouldn’t change, but could be prevented. He had told Izuna what he needed to hear. He had told him that his brother still considered Sakura as his, even though they were not the same people that they had once been.

“ What do we do?” Izuna asked. “ If it's true, we have to protect her, we have to do something.” Izuna said slowly.

“You're assuming that Sakura doesn't know, that she isn't aware of my brother’s true intentions or personality. If what Hashirama and Madara claim is true, then she must also be aware of their shared past.” Tobirama said logically, with much more calm than he felt in his heart.

“My brother claims to have loved her first, and that she returned his love. That is had been a misunderstanding and that Indra…” Tobirama couldn’t believe he was speaking of such things out loud much less with Izuna Uchiha. “...killed her lover, that he married her to save her from Indra.”

“I suppose but, she doesn’t act as though she remembers their shared past.” Izuna protested. “They were brothers like we are thier brothers now…”

“...and what of Madara, does he act according to what you think someone who is the reincarnation of Indra Otsutsuki would act like, how the hell would we know what they would act like, we aren't reincarnation, only they are... only Sakura can truly tell if they are the same or not.” Tobirama insisted. He had to be fair, he had to be logical.

“So what are you saying we just let her handle this on her own, by herself without any assistance from us?” Izuna was surprised at the Senju, he thought that he cared for Sakura more than that. He had been under the impression that...that he loved her too.

“What makes you think she needs our help... if she is already aware of the situation I'm sure she is already handling it or taking the needed precautions.” Tobirama said sensibly.

“...but…” Izuna continued to protest.

“You said yourself that you couldn't even imagine how she felt, or how you would feel if you were in her position, so what makes you think she even wants our help, much less needs it. Have a little bit more confidence in her. You just said how much you respect her, show her that respect and let her take care of this herself. We will be here for her if she needs us, but until she asks for my help I will not interfere.” Tobirama I didn’t like this situation any more than Izuna did, but there was a right and a wrong way to handle this.

“If we try to take control of the situation we are no better than either one of our brothers, surely you must see the wisdom in that.” Tobirama pointed out.

“ Do you not understand... they've had their chance and failed. She knows it, they know it... and now we know it. What makes you think she will pick either one of them to spend her time with when they have already betrayed her and used her in the past?” Tobirama said flatly. 

“Sakura may be a kind woman but she is not a foolish one, she has the ability and the foresight to not only learn from her own mistakes but from the mistakes of those around her. I find it very difficult to believe that she would choose either one of our brothers to spend the rest of her life with after what they have done to her in their past.” Tobirama pause, thinking over his own words. He realized how very presumptuous he was being... but he didn't think he was wrong.

“That’s assuming, she is even taking the past into consideration.” Tobirama added. “I told my brother he was wrong to think Sakura was the same woman that had fallen in love with him, that he had fallen in love with.” 

Izuna nodded his head slowly taking in the other man's words, he was right of course. “You're right they've had their chance. She isn’t the same woman they once knew, and they are not the same as they once were.” 

Tobirama looked at the man beside him, pleased that Izuna was in agreement with him on this. It would make it easier for Sakura.

” Exactly.” Tobirama inclined his head to Izuna. 

“So then…” Izuna asked.

“ We continue as we were.” Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest pleased with thier conversation.

“...and your brother?” Izuna glanced sideways at the man again.

“Leave him to Sakura.” Tobirama said confidently.

“...and if she can’t handle him?” Izuna was skeptical. He had full confidence in Sakura's abilities however, Hashirama Senju was a legend in their time, he wasn't sure she was skilled enough to defend herself successfully against the kami of Shinobi.

“We will make sure that she can, when she gets back from bonding with her summons, from tracking down the one-tailed beast Shukaku of the desert, we’ll challenge her to a spar.” Tobirama looked at Izuna, waiting for him to respond.

“I've been wanting to challenge that woman to a spar for a very long time, ever since that first night at her house before the village was built. I bet she hits hard.” Izuna grinned.

“ We'll find out soon enough.” Tobirama smiled a half-smile back at his old enemy. “She’s fast.”

Izuna nodded. “Madara...and Hashirama...we won’t be able to hide this from them.”

“That’s the point.” Tobirama gave Izuna an exasperated look.

“I see.” Izuna understood...Hashirama would know, that Tobirama had told him about thier conversation and Madara would know that Izuna had told Tobirama about thiers. “Preventative action huh?”

Hashirama lifted his head up from the low table and looked into the dark eyes of his old friend. “ I told Tobirama everything, I told him the truth about everything.” Hashirama slurred, eyes sunken.

Madara sighed and sat down next to Hashirama, pouring himself a drink. “ I just told Izuna who Sakura was and where she's from... and a little bit about all of our shared past.” Madara picked up the bottle from the table, swirling its contents.

“Why in kami’s name would you tell Tobirama, of all people, the whole truth?” Madara asked his friend. “I told Izuna what he needed to know, nothing more.”

“ Why grow a conscience now Hashirama after all of these years, you had to have known what a horrible idea that was and how he would react... did he even believe you?” Madara asked curiously.

“ He believed me. He didn't want to believe me, but he believed me. I could see it in his eyes. I let him down, he told me I wasn't the man he thought I was. I let him down Madara, my last living brother... what a disappointment I must be to him... yet I can't stop thinking about her, how she used to be mine...how she was mine, first.” Hashirama looked at his friend quietly, reaching for his cup.

“She was mine first.” Hashirama repeated his words, to himself...to Madara. “I never wanted anyone but her. I still don’t...Mito is...it wasn’t my fault...and then...when I was free to marry her, when I went back to get her...she was gone.”

He clenched his cup in his hands. 

“When you came home...and told me that you...that you…” Hashirama choked. 

“That I thought I was in love with the same woman you were?” Madara finished the sentence that his friend could not.

Hashirama nodded. “I hated you.” He whispered. “I hated you.” He said again, more softly.

“...you were my brother and she was…” Hashirama looked up from his cup, red eyes glaring at Madara.

“I didn’t know Hashirama. You never told me.” Madara’s voice was calm, low, and passive.

“I know.” Hashirama looked away. “I was so angry...I...regret. If I could change it...and now...I can’t change.”

Hashirama shook his head swaying in his seat.

“I understand.” Madara sipped from his cup. “This is a new life though...and she is here with us.”

“With you...again.” Hashirama growled. He didn’t understand...how could Madara understand how he felt...she had been his first, not Madara’s...

Madara remained silent. Now was not the time to remind Hashi that it was different this time. She had chosen to come to him, not out of grief but...why had she come to him…

“I still love her.” Hashirama laid his head down on the table, his cup tipping from his slackened grip, spilling to the floor.

“ It's not just you.” Madara raised the cup to his lips and drank slowly. “ Maybe she really is a Tennyo after all.” He chuckled quietly to himself, rose to his feet, and left his friend to his drunken slumber.


	53. Ashitoke Hajime Tobirama

Sand danced across the floor of his temple, shifting and swirling in little whirlpools of grainy bliss as he contemplated the strange woman's words. It was preposterous, yet undeniable. The sage had told them, told them all that one day someone would come to unite them one day, they would all be together again. Who was he the doubt the words of the sage of the six paths...was it her, was she the one to unite them...was that why she had come?

Shukaku raised his head up and look at the ceiling, he felt that he had already been here far too long, his eyes had traced the tiles along the wall too many times. Admittedly he wouldn't mind seeing some of the other tailed beasts again, except for that blasted Nine-tails, he thought he was better than the rest of them just because he had the most tails.

The woman had said they had met before, in the future, through his jinchuriki, who had been the Kazekage of a village that had yet to be created... omoshiroi... Shukaku looked down at his paws and thought of the sage of six paths... it might be nice to have a friend again... it was lonely out in the desert.

She had told him that she was from a new Village in the Northeast. It had been a long time since he left the desert to explore the surrounding land, perhaps... it was time to explore again, surely a woman as strong and as determined as that one, will be seeking out the other tailed beasts. Hadn't she said as much? She would need his help... besides, he had questions that he was sure only she was able to answer.

Sakura sat up high in one of the great trees of the Konoha surrounding Forest, her back up against its wide trunk, her legs spread out on either side of the thick extending branch. Why didn't Kakashi come to her... she knew he was there... she had felt his chakra fade and disappear... why had he come, only to leave again…

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, slow and steady like the shifting of sand, like the water that flows over the rocks along the shore of the Naka River. Slow and steady, that's how she needed to move. 

Briefly, she wondered what Madara was doing right now, what Tobirama was doing…” Sleeping of course.” She muttered to herself.

She wondered if she fell asleep right now, would he be there, would they meet again in thier dreams...was he waiting for her... Her chest rose as she took another deep breath, the cool gold of the chain she wore around her neck shifted over her skin... reminding her of yet another bond she had formed since she had been here since she had been sent back... a bond that she wouldn't have if not for Sasuke Uchiha. 

She wasn't grateful for his selfish actions, but she couldn't find it in her heart to hate him anymore either like she had when she had first realized what he had done to her... no, she pitied him, again.

Desperate. 

How had she never seen that before? Even when they had been children he’d always been so very desperate. Desperate for love, for power...for recognition. Black Zetsu was gone. White Zetsu was gone... and yet she couldn't help but remember the Elder Wolf’s words…”What makes you think only Indra was cursed, they were both cursed.”

“ Of course they are.” Sakura looked up into the night sky and sighed deeply. “ Of course they were.”

“Tomorrow, I'll talk to Hashirama, tomorrow.” Sakura slid from the tree branch to the forest floor, bit her thumb, and pressed it to the ground.

Takeo appeared before her, his head cocked to the side. “Sakura.” He paused before her, taking in the stillness of her facial expression.

“ What's wrong you look so sad?” He nudged the side of her shoulder with his nose.

“It's nothing.” Sakura shook her head and tried to smile. “ I promised that I would brush you.”

Takeo ducked his head under her arm. “Shall we go back to the wilds, back to the den?” He asked her.

“Yes.” She said. “ let's go back to the den.”

Hajime watched the woman and the wolf disappear into the night. He let them go, there was no use in pursuing her further. He would find out everything he wanted to know about her eventually. Stretching his arms out over his head, he yawned, laid back to stretch out across the wide branch of the tree he was sitting in, and closed his eyes. He would sleep here tonight and return to his clan lands in the morning to prepare for the long trip to The new Shinobi Village.

Their request to visit the village has been accepted. He wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to speak to the woman in plain sight. Besides, times were changing, this new shinobi village will be the first of many, he knew. As more and more clans joined shinobi villages like that one, smaller clans, like his would be taken over, killed off, or simply left behind.

There weren't many Hatake left as it was, and any future that the Shinobi world might have, he wanted to make sure his clan was a part of it. Even if their numbers remained small, he was okay with that, even small contributions could make a difference.

No one had ever thought that Madara Uchiha would seek peace with Hashirama Senju or that the Senju would form of Village with the Uchiha. He had heard that both the Nara and the Yamanaka would be visiting the village, soon to be followed by the Akimichi the Aburame and the Inuzuka Clans…

Hajime knew their newfound peace wouldn't last long, that the rest of the world, the shinobi of the other nation would see the forming of this powerful Village as a threat. Was that why the woman had gone to see Shukaku of the desert…he wondered.

He had observed enough, the time for observation was over, now was the time to act... in the morning. Hajime rolled over onto his stomach, letting his arms and legs fall to either side of the branch, and fell asleep.

_“What will you do when you grow up?” Ashura asked his new friend, as they lay on the soft grass of the valley, to the left of the river, at the base of the cliff._

_“What do you mean Ashura, I will be whatever my parents tell me to be, that is the way of the world.. my lot in life.” Shizuka thought his question ridiculous._

_“You could be so much more than what they have planned for you.” Ashura said as he held her hand over his chest, his head in her lap, his other hand twisting a lock of her hair through his fingers._

_“How do you know what my parents have planned for me Ashura. You don't know what the future holds.” Shizuka laughed, her hair falling over her shoulder as she looked down into his brown eyes, brushing his cheeks._

_“You are my future Shizuka.” He told her, his eyes soft, and full of love._

_“Ashura, you should not say such things. What if your father names you his heir, you will be married off to a woman of his choice, not yours. Do not put such false hope in my head, it is too cruel.” She said quietly, gripping his hand in hers. He could feel her trembling._

_“My father will not choose me, not as long as Indra is alive, clearly he is more skilled, clearly he is the better choice, I will be free to marry whom I wish... and I wish to marry you.” Ashura let go of her hand and let the lock of hair slide free of his fingers._

_Rising up onto his elbows he shook his head fervently. “ There is no one for me but you, and there is no one for you but me. I do not give you false hope I only give you the truth. I will only ever love you and you only ever love me.” He said with such conviction, such confidence that she almost believed him._

_Shizuka smiled. “ Maybe.” Should she dare hope…_

_As the years went by their affections only grew. His words never changed, his desire only grew and she...started to believe. She started to hope… Days, weeks, months, and years…passed._

_...until one day she realized, she did love him, she did want to marry him and she began to believe him when he told her... that he would marry her someday._

_...she had been waiting for him by the river, she had seen the sadness and regret in his eyes... she could hear the desperation in his voice... he was to be married to a bride of his father's choosing... just as she had always feared._

_She knew it wasn't his fault, she knew it wasn't his choice, and yet... he had promised her... he had told her she was the only one for him and he was the only one for her... he had promised her... her heart was breaking._

_For the next two months she had returned to the river in vain, over and over again wishing hoping, and wanting to see him, but he never came, so she gave up... she vowed to never return to the river again, it was too painful and held to many memories. Memories she wanted to forget._

_Eventually, the stabbing pain in her heart faded until only a dull throbbing remained. Sometimes she would wake from her dreams, his name on her lips, his touch on her cheek that was wet with tears...but that too eventually subsided, until one day she woke up and found... that she could breathe again without choking, that she could smile again without crying and that she could say his name without longing._

_... that's when she had met Ashitoke Hatake._

_Shizuka had been practicing her walking up trees technique in the forest. She hadn’t seen him relaxing in the tree with his book... she hadn't been paying attention to where she was going... only concentrating on the amount of chakra she was pushing to her feet, trying to maintain the balance required to walk up the tree as Ashura had shown her._

_She had almost stepped on him._

_“You're a practitioner of ninshu?” He asked her curiously once she had stopped apologizing to him._

_“ Not exactly.” Shizuka stammered. “ I wouldn't say I'm a practitioner, I'm only practicing this one method that was shown to me by a real practitioner of ninshu.” Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment._

_Ashitoke smiled at her. “ Who's to say who is a practitioner and who isn't?” He asked her good-humoredly._

_Shizuka couldn’t tell him who had taught her this method, who had shown her and who had been the first one to give her the encouragement to practice ninshu on her own. She looked down at her feet, embarrassed._

_“ Hey, what's wrong why won't you look me in the eye?” He asked her ducking his head so that he could see her face._

_Shizuka smiled. She could see the laughter in his eyes. He was kind. “ Nothing's wrong, I’ve just never talked about this with anyone else before, except for…” She couldn't say his name, not out loud, not to someone else... not yet._

_Ashitoke raised a brow in inquiry but didn't press her further. “ I could help you if you like, but you seem to be doing just fine on your own.”_

_He stood up and stretched with his arms over his head…” You just need to pay attention to where you're going, instead of where you've been.” He smiled at her._

_“Instead of where I've been.” He had no idea what those words meant to her or how much she had needed to hear that... her heart began to open again... just a little._

_“My name’s Ashitoke. What's yours?” He sat down on the branch, his legs dangling over the side as he looked up at her expectantly._

_“My name is Shizuka.” She sat down beside him timidly, looking off to the side and away._

_“Shizuka.” He said her name carefully, as though he wanted to remember it, closing his eyes. “Do you like it?”_

_“Do I like it? What...my name?” No one had ever asked her that before. “I, suppose...yes.”_

_Ashitoke nodded. “Good. I think it suits you.” He smiled again at her, he smiled so easily…_

_“You don’t even know me.” She stared at him...who was this man...he seemed so free of the social restrictions that she was used to._

_“Not yet.” Ashitoke pulled his book from his back pocket where he had rolled it up and shoved it when she had almost stepped on him. “Do you like to read?”_

_“I…” She looked down at her hands. She hadn’t been born into a wealthy family. “I don’t know how to read.”_

_“I’ll teach you.” He smiled at her wide eyes. “If you want to learn I mean.” The right hand corner of his mouth turned up, not quite a smirk but a...vulnerability. He…_

_“You would do that? Why?” She didn’t understand, what did he gain from teaching her how to read. Ashura had always told her, no one does anything without a reason. No one does something for free._

_“What do you want in return?” She asked him suspiciously._

_“In return?” He blinked at her. “Oh.” He understood and began to laugh._

_Shizuka narrowed her eyes at the man._

_“I need someone to discuss books with of course.” He handed his book to her. “Shall we begin?”_

Takeo felt her breathing change and knew she was awake. Gently, he nudged the side of her face with his nose. He had heard her call out for him, twice that night...for Ashitoke. He wondered...what she had been dreaming of.

“Takeo.” Her voice cracked. “Did you sleep here the whole night?”

“Yes.” He stretched his front legs out in front of him. “Thank you for brushing all of the sand from my fur. I really hate the desert.” He yawned.

Sakura smiled and sat up on her bed. “Thanks for going with me.” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. They had gone to bed late. “What time is it? Do you know?”

“A little after dawn. Sleep more if you’re tired. I’ll save you some breakfast.” Takeo got to his feet and headed to the door.

“No need. I should get back to the village. There are a few things I need to do today and I promised them I wouldn’t be more than just a few days.” She reached for the chest beside the wall and flipped open the lid. “Let me change my clothes. I’ll meet you in the great hall for breakfast.”

Takeo nodded. He hadn’t expected her to stay. She would want to get back to the village in case Shukaku came looking for her. He knew but…” Sakura?”

Sakura looked up from the shirt she had pulled from the chest and looked at her friend. “Yea?”

Takeo hesitated. “You’re...a good person. Not everyone would...try to help those that, they know they will never see again.” He turned and left her room, his tail hitting the side of the wall as he walked down the hall toward the breakfast hall.

“Am I really?” Sakura fingered the pink jade of the pendant Tobirama had gifted her. “I wonder...by who’s standards.” She grimaced.

He was waiting for her by the gate.

“Tobirama?” Sakura came to a running halt before him. “Has something happened?” 

His posture was much more stiff than usual and there was a hard line drawn across his mouth. “Are you...well?” She took a small step toward him, her hand lifting at her side.

“I’m fine.” He said, his voice stern, almost...cold.

Her fingers curled into her palm and her hand dropped back down to her side. Had she...done something wrong?

Tobirama frowned. He wasn’t handling this well. He hadn’t realized how much he…

“The Uzumaki are here.” He said gruffly, his head turning toward the central tower. “We were waiting for you. Hashirama...refused to welcome them properly...until you came home.”

“...but...why?” Sakura stammered.

“Why do you think Sakura?” Tobirama said more harshly than he had meant to. It wasn’t her fault, he told himself. Calm down, he willed himself…his eyes softened a little as he continued to look at her. It wasn’t her fault, he reminded himself. She hadn’t asked for...any of this.

“I know...about...you.” His voice dropped. “Hashirama told me, about your past life as Shizuka and your association with...himself and Madara as, as…”

“Did he.” Sakura said flatly. 

“...and now that you know, does it change your opinion of me? Do you want your necklace back?” Her hands went to her throat, her fingers ghosting over the delicate chain.

“No. You should know. Izuna knows too. Madara told him..his side of the tale.” Tobirama felt her chakra spike then fade.

“His side. Does no one care of my side?” She asked him, walking past him toward her home.

“Sakura.” Tobirama turned around to face her, to call out to her…” This changes nothing for me, but...it does...trouble me.” He was being honest.

Sakura stopped and turned back to face him. “Troubling...yes. My past is very troubling. You said it didn’t change the way you felt about me but what of your brother, what of Madara?” She wanted to know...how much did they tell them?

“My brother is still my brother but…” Tobirama closed the distance between them, his hand cupped her cheek. 

“To me, you still shine, you still glow.” He dipped a finger past the collar of her shirt and pulled the gold chain from around her neck, up and dropped it over the front of her shirt from the inside. His eyes rested on the pink jade, then flickered up to her green gaze.

“Is it true? I’m still undecided as to whether or not I believe him, them. Is it true? Are you, are they…” He couldn’t say it. He flushed with embarrassment.

“If you tell me it’s true. I will believe you.” His red eyes bore down on her. He waited.

“I do not know what they told you, but if you are asking if we are the reincarnations of three people who once held bonds of love, friendship, and betrayal...then yes. It’s true.” She raised her head and stood up straight. “However, I am only me and I want to live in the now, in the future...I’ve already spent far too much time in the past.”

Ashitoke’s words came back to her from her dream. ‘You need to pay attention to where you’re going, instead of where you’ve been.’ How could such simple words hold so much meaning...

Tobirama stepped closer to her, his sleeve brushed her arm. “They still care for you, do you...still…”

“Am I interrupting something?” A lazy voice interrupted them.

Sakura looked past Tobirama and around his shoulder to see a tall, slouched figure with white messy hair...and eyes the color of stormy slate. She hadn’t even felt his chakra signature...and she guessed by the stiffening of Tobirama’s posture...neither had he. In fact...she couldn’t feel it now, with him...right in front of her.

“Hello there. Sorry, we’re late.” The man...no, the shinobi, gestured behind him with a lazy hand at several other men. “...but you see, a tree fell over in the woods and no one was around to hear it so…”

“Ka Kakashi…” Sakura took a step forward, her shoulder brushing Tobirama’s chest as she passed him by and stumbled toward the newcomer.

“Eh? Sorry kunoichi, do I know you?” The man winked at her, his eyes crinkling up into a very disturbingly familiar smile. “The names Hatake...Hajime Hatake, the Clan Head of the Hatake Clan.” He bowed lazily at the waist to her.

He had called her a kunoichi...Tobirama narrowed his eyes at the Hatake Clan Head.

“...and you are?” Hajime straightened his back and looked down at Sakura with mild interest.

“Sa Sakura.” Sakura’s eyes were wide. She could see the thoughts behind the facade. She knew...he was...analyzing her words, her voice her posture. Her eyes dropped down to his pouch at his belt, she could see the familiar bulge of...a book. She recognized the gentle shifting of his feet, he was...on guard...even if his lazy tone said otherwise...she knew, she knew him.

Tobirama stepped up behind Sakura, laying a protective hand on her shoulder and bowed respectfully, pushing her head down with his. “Welcome to Konoha, Hatake San.”

Hajime’s eyes never left Sakura. “We are pleased to be here.”

Sakura looked up to calculating dark grey...she could feel it in the air...awareness.


	54. Chapter 54

...

....

....and then a comet hit Konoha killing everyone, the end...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just kidding, will post the next chapter soon...


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see! It continues! :)

Madara was halfway out of his seat before the door had fully opened. She had returned. Sakura had returned. “Sakura.” Madara’s deep voice cut across the room.

“Madara.” Sakura smiled, genuinely pleased to see him again.

“Welcome back to Konoha.” Madara waved a hand to the cushion beside his. “Please join us. As you can see, the Uzumaki of Eddies have arrived.”

“Yes, I see that.” Sakura smiled at the small group at the large table, inclined her head with respect to the eldest member seated, and took her place at Madara’s right.

“Brother, the Hatake Clan has come as well.” Tobirama motioned toward Hajime and his men.

Hashirama rose to his feet to greet the Hatake Clan head. “Welcome to our village. I see you have already met Sakura, our Head Medic, allow me to introduce you to Ashina, the Uzumaki Clan leader, he too has come to see our new village.” Hashirama bowed to Hajime who inclined his head to both Hashirama and Ashina, who had likewise risen to greet the Hatake Clan head.

“Thank you for accepting my request.” Hajime sat down across from Sakura. “Head Medic?” He inquired.

“I am.” Sakura nodded, her composure much more controlled after their walk from the front gate to the Hokage Tower.

“A female Medic?” Ashina looked at Sakura skeptically. “How unusual.” The Uzumaki Clan head did not smile but his eyes flashed with regard when he looked at her.

“Sakura is the best medic in the world. I’ve never seen a more skilled kunoichi.” Hashirama said a bit too fondly for the Uzumaki Clan head’s taste. The old man’s eyes glancing from Hashirama to Sakura.

“Yes.” Ashina tapped his finger against the tabletop, looking across the table at his daughter Mito, who sat on Hashirama’s left. “It seems you hold a place of high esteem with the Senju, Sakura San. He would not start this meeting without you present. I wonder how long we would have been forced to wait if you...had failed to return when you did.”

Sakura leaned forward to look at Hashirama. “You did not have to wait for me Hashirama. You knew I was training with my new summons.” She said lightly, in the face of the present company.

“Is that all you were doing?” Hashirama smiled a little too brightly at her.

“I…” Sakura understood. Her eyes fell on Madara…” My time is my own.” Sakura retorted, her eyes darting to Tobirama.

“As head Medic, you have a responsibility to the village Sakura, you would do well to remember that.” Hashirama leaned forward, past Madara to meet her narrowed eyes.

“I know my place Hashi, I do not need you to remind me...in front of others.” She knew what he was doing and she didn’t like it. Sakura glanced at Hajime who was leaning forward in his seat, his finger tapping on the tabletop. Kakashi used to dot hat when he was annoyed...was Hajime annoyed?

“Don’t mind me.” Hajime leaned forward, his arms on the tabletop, eyes crinkling in amusement.

Sakura made a small noise in the back of her throat, of protest or humor she wasn’t sure. Hajime’s eyes crinkled further as he continued to look at her.

Mito cleared her throat beside Hashirama and leaned forward to speak around both Madara and Hashirama. “We have heard of your skill Lady Sakura. I hope to bear first-hand witness to it while we are here.”

Sakura smiled sweetly. “I would be pleased to give you a friendly demonstration, however, I would not wish severe injury to anyone in order to show off my talents.” Green eyes bore into brown...as a warning. “Unless Hashirama would like to volunteer?”

Hajime’s mouth twitched along with Ashina’s, Madara’s, and Izuna’s.

Mito coughed lightly, stifling the small laugh that had slipped past her lips at Sakura’s insinuation. The pink-haired woman’s spunk had answered at least...one of her questions.

“Perhaps an exhibition of your battle prowess then?” Izuna had kept quiet while the introductions had been made, but saw this as the perfect opportunity to put his and Tobirama’s plan into motion.

“A spar?” Sakura asked.

“With me.” Izuna grinned at her, he could barely contain his excitement. “Unless you’re scared?”

“Ha!” Sakura smacked both of her palms flat on the wood grain of the tabletop. “You’re on little Uchiha.” She grinned at Izuna.

“Little Uchiha?” Hajime burst into barely stifled peels of laughter and nudged one of his attendants. “She’s funny huh?”

“Sakura, perhaps this isn’t the best idea.” Hashirama began to protest. “The Hatake Clan and the Uzumaki Clan came for a tour of the village, not to see you and Izuna spar.”

“I’m interested to see what the little woman has to offer.” Hajime inclined his head to Sakura who looked back at him, blinking slightly.

Ashina looked from the younger Uchiha to the tiny woman beside the Uchiha Clan head. “I also, find myself...interested.”

“Sakura.” Madara moved his hand over hers under the cover of the table and squeezed it gently. “If you are not comfortable with this arrangement we can…”

“I’m going to kick your ass Izuna.” Sakura pulled her hand from Madara’s grasp and stood up, abruptly. This was just what she needed.

“We’ll see. I’m not going to make the mistake of underestimating you again, not like last time.” His hand came up to his chest. “Any rules?” He asked, looking around the room.

“Just don’t kill one another.” Madara sighed and rose to his feet. “Shall we?”

“How skilled is she, do you know Madara?” Hashirama asked his friend quietly as they made their way to the recently finished training grounds.

“I know she knows how to lay traps and makes good use of wire…” Madara watched Sakura laugh back and forth with Izuna as they walked side by side. “She knows several impressive high-level genjutsu techniques.” He lowered his voice.

“Uchiha genjutsu techniques?” Hashirama was surprised. “Did you teach them to her?”

“No.” Madara cut his eyes toward Mito who walked beside Hashirama. “An Uchiha she knew, from her old village.”

“Ah.” Hashirama tucked his hands into the front of his shirt. He understood. “Do you think...she will be okay fighting Izuna? He is quite skilled with a blade.”

“She is much stronger than she looks,” Madara recalled her monstrous strength from some of his dreams. “...and the tenacity to adapt in the heat of battle.”

“Hum.” Hashirama frowned. Was Sakura that skilled? He knew she had been...eventually in their time but now...he hadn’t had many visions of her from her time…” If she falls?”

“She won’t,” Madara said with confidence.

Mito listened to the men talk beside her and wondered...why they had never witnessed Lady Sakura in battle before. The way they looked at her, talked to her...they seemed so much closer than…”I think it is admirable, that you let a kunoichi join your ranks as an equal.” 

Hashirama’s head whipped around to look down into Mito’s dark eyes, he had almost forgotten that she was there. “Sakura is...an exception.” Hashirama smiled, his eyes following the curve of Sakura’s hip as she walked beside Izuna in front fo them.

Madara coughed loudly. 

“So I see,” Mito said calmly, seemingly absently...dangerously. “So am I.”

Tobirama rolled his eyes internally. His brother...was a fool.

“How long have you been acquainted with Sakura San, Tobirama San?” Ashina asked Tobirama.

“Two seasons. She is a very skilled medic. I admit I have very limited insight into her battle skills. This will be just as enlightening for me as it is for you.” Tobirama heard the Hatake Clan head chuckle lightly on his other side.

“You did not test her skill level before making her your head medic?” Hajime murmured in disapproval.

“We did not. She is ‘that’ good of a medic. Perhaps we will be able to witness both...depending on how much Izuna pisses her off.” Tobirama...almost smirked.

“The Lady has a bit of a temper hmm?” Hajime considered the size of Sakura’s fists and wondered, how hard she could hit with them.

“You have no idea.” Tobirama mumbled quietly making Ashina smile into his sleeve beside him.

Sasuke Sarutobi dropped back into a relaxed stance and bowed to his son Hiruzen as the party of Uzumaki, Hatake and founders made their way onto the training grounds.

“I apologize for the interruption Sarutobi.” Sakura smiled at the Sarutobi Clan head, Sasuke. 

“Izuna and I wished to have a friendly spar...and it seems, others were interested to see...how well I faired against the younger Uchiha.” Her head tilted gracefully toward the rest of the group behind her and Izuna.

“Oh?” Sasuke Sarutobi bowed politely to Sakura. “Not at all Hime, not at all.” Sasuke smiled flirtatiously at her making her roll her eyes.

“Hime?” Mito asked Hashirama, her eyes narrowing at Sakura. “Lady Sakura is...a princess?”

Hashirama choked on his own spit that caught in his throat as he sucked in a sudden gasp of air. Madara patted Hashirama forcefully on his back.

“Sakura is the Hime of Konoha, Mito Hime.” Madara clarified.

“Hmm.” Mito pursed her lips, glancing at Hashirama out of the corner of her eye. His face was red and he refused to look in her direction. “I was not aware Konoha had a princess.”

“Just one.” Madara smiled at the red-headed woman. “Soon to be two.”

“Perhaps.” Mito looked up at Hashirama, his normal color had returned, but his cheeks were still flushed. “If there is room for another?”

Hashirama burst out laughing. “Now Mito, it’s not what you think, Sakura is, she’s…” He waved his hands back and forth in front of his chest.

“Sakura is special to all of us Mito San, not just Hashirama.” Madara clarified, coming to his friend’s rescue.

“Yes.” Hashirama looked around the small gathering, all eyes were on him...even Sakura’s. “She is special to all of us.”

“I see.” Mito caught Sakura’s eye and smiled...a little too demurely.

Ashina cleared his throat. 

Taking that as his cue, Izuna grabbed Sakura’s hand and pulled her out into the middle of the field. “This is just a spar. All in good fun you know. I’ll go easy on you okay?” Izuna grinned at her...knowingly.

Sakura scoffed. “Just tell me the rules Uchiha and let’s get going.”

Sakura cracked her knuckles. She was more excited about this spar than she thought she would be...it had been a long time since she had spared with anyone, much less someone as skilled as Izuna was, presumably. She wondered how much she would need to hold back.

“Nothing life-threatening and I won’t use my Sharingan,” Izuna said thoughtfully.

“Use it.” Sakura insisted. “I know how to fight a Sharingan user.” She grinned at him as she rolled her neck against her shoulders.

“Are you...sure Sakura?” He was surprised. Most non-Sharingan users were terrified of the Uchiha’s kekkei Genkai. He was more than a little impressed.

“Don’t underestimate me Izuna. I cast a rather formidable genjutsu on you the first time you came to visit me at my house, remember?” Sakura placed both of her hands on her hips and leaned forward playfully mocking her friend.

“You had the element of surprise.” He countered.

“I had you pinned up against the wall with a kunai to your throat.” She shot back much to the amusement of the listening bystanders.

“You can pin me anytime you want Sakura, believe me.” Izuna laughed at her drop-jawed expression. “Unless I pin you first.” He smirked at her.

“You can try.” Sakura jumped up into the air, flipped backward, landing several feet away from Izuna. “I’ll even give you a head start!” She called to him.

“No need for that.” Izuna ducked his head, pulled two kunai from his belt, flicked his wrist, and darted forward, much faster than she had anticipated.

Sakura lunged forward, avoiding the two kunai and the Uchiha wire that drew them together, pulled her pearled dual blades from the sash at her waist and infused them with chakra, dropped to her knees, sliding on top of the dirt and under Izuna’s open legs, popping up behind him.

“I didn’t know she could move like that,” Hashirama whispered in awe to his friend, ignoring the gasp that had come from Mito, to stare open-mouthed at Sakura as she sidestepped Izuna’s backhanded attack, lunging forward with her chakra blade in her left hand, removing one of the sleeves to his kimono shirt for him.

Everyone watched as the sleeve fluttered to the ground.

“She didn’t even graze him.” Hajime’s keen eyes darted around the training ground keeping the pink hair in his visual.

“Did you know she could move like that Madara?” Hashirama choked. He had underestimated her, again.

“No.” Madara folded his arms across his chest and watched his brother jump into the air with Sharingan eyes, rotate mid-turn to block two kunai, twist and drop down to the ground beside Sakura, only to have to jump and roll again to avoid a well-aimed punch from the formidable woman.

Dirt exploded into the air, momentarily cloaking both combatants.

“She’s so fast.” Sasuke Sarutobi mumbled beside Tobirama whos own eyes darted back and forth, attempting to locate either Sakura or Izuna.

When the dust cleared, only Izuna remained upright, turning from the left to the right.

“Sakura?” Izuna stepped hesitantly from one foot to the other, looking left, then right, up then down. “Where did you go?”

Hajime sensed the attack before the younger Uchiha...clever woman, she was in the ground. “Headhunter.” He said quietly. 

Two of the Hatake that had come with him turned their heads to the man in surprise. The “Headhunter” technique, was a Hatake earth style technique. A jutsu of Hajime’s own design. No one outside fo the clan...knew it.

Sakura shot up out of the ground and pulled Izuna down by the ankles, burying him up to his head in the dirt.

“Impressive.” Ashina Uzumaki clapped his hands together aristocratically as he nodded his head.

“It isn’t over yet Uzumaki San.” Hajime’s eyes crinkled. 

“Look.” He pointed at Sakura who flew high up into the air, flipping back to avoid the numerous senbon Izuna had shot at her from his mouth, allowing him time to climb out of the earth.

“Sakura!” Izuna yelled her name, making her turn her head just in time to see a huge fireball jutsu flying her way.

“Shit.” Sakura curled up into a ball and released one of her newly formed reserves of inner chakra coating her body in a protective shield.

“Izuna!” Madara darted out onto the training grounds to prevent the fireball from reaching the woman, but he was too late. His head turned toward Sakura, who popped up out of her ball...furious. Green eyes flashing...she had never looked more beautiful to him.

“You little shit!” She ran at Izuna. “We said no lethal attacks!” Her fist came down at both of the Uchiha’s feet, splitting the earth and sending both men into the air.

“Damn.” Hajime whistles appreciatively. “That’s some woman.” He grinned.

“Yes, she is.” Tobirama smiled a small smile. She was amazing, much more amazing than he had already thought she was.

Mito pursed her lips. She too was impressed. Her eyes went to Hashirama...intresting, she thought. He didn’t know, she realized. He didn’t know Sakura was that skilled...and he was, angry. Mito could see the slight clenching of his jaw, she could feel the tension falling from him in waves. Her father caught her eye...yes, he had noticed it as well.

“You say she is your head medic, Hashirama?” Mito laid a hand over the Senju’s arm and looked up at him coyly.

“Huh?” Hashirama looked down at the woman, he had...once again, forgotten that she was there. “Uh yes, she is our head medic.” His eyes went back to Sakura who was dusting her pants off, the spar apparently over.

“Seems to me, she might be better suited on the front lines,” Mito observed.

“What?” Hashirama clenched his fists and rounded on Mito. “...and why is that?” He nearly hissed.

Nothing daunted, Mito smiled. “I’d wager she could defend the village single-handedly.”

“Oh.” Hashirama deflated slightly. “Yes...perhaps but, that is not what I want for her.” He said quietly.

“I don’t want her to have to fight.” He said a little more loudly, his eyes meeting Mitos.

She smiled. “I understand. You...care for her don’t you Hashirama?”

“I...yes,” Hashirama admitted. “...but I care for you too,” he said under the watchful gaze of his brother’s red eyes. “I’m marrying you.”

“So you are.” Mito linked her arm through Hashirama’s and moved closer to his side. “I too...am a strong woman.” She looked up at him and smiled.

Hashirama looked down at Mito, her eyes were cold, but her smile was warm. “Are you…” He murmured.

“You would do well not to forget that.” She squeezed his arm lightly, as Hajime Hatake made his way out onto the training ground field clapping his hands at Sakura who was still laughing with Izuna. “It appears she has many other...admireres, she doesn’t need your admiration.”

Hashirama stiffened. “...and yet she has it, and will continue to have it, even after we are married...Mito.”

“We’ll see.” Mito held his heated gaze with her own.

Tobirama’s eyes narrowed as he watched the Uzumaki and his brother...this...wasn’t good.

Sakura straightened her shirt and patted her hair back down as Hajime walked up beside her and Izuna.

“An interesting technique, kunoichi.” Hajime began the conversation, cutting Izuna off in mid-sentence. “The Headhunter Technique, I wonder...who did you learn that from?” His voice was casual...his question was not.

Sakura met Hajime’s cold slate eyes…” Does it matter...Hatake San?”

It felt so strange for her to say that name...to someone other than Kakashi.

“Sama. I am the clan head of the Hatake Clan.” Hajime inclined his head to Sakura politely, but his words were anything but.

“I am not going to call you master.” She nearly growled.

Hajime rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his arms relaxed, his stance...plain…

Sakura saw the twitch of his fingers, arched her back, and avoided the sudden swipe of his blade as it passed through the air where her eyes had just been.

“How dare you!” Izuna’s eyes bled red. “How dare you attack her unawares without cause over something so trivial!” Izuna was furious.

“Izuna,” Sakura spoke quietly. “I would like to speak to Hatake San alone, please, just for a moment.”

“Sakura...but…” Izuna began to protest.

“Please relay my request to Tobirama.” Sakura motioned to the white-haired Senju who had apparently seen everything and was making his way across the field to them. “Please.”

“Fine.” Izuna gave one last hard look at Hajime, who held Sakura’s steady gaze with his own. 

“Fine.” He said again with much more force and walked away, stopping to speak with Tobirama who narrowed his eyes at the Hatake Clan head, but turned and followed Izuna to where the others were standing, waiting for an explanation.

Hajime waited for the woman to speak, but she didn’t. She continued to hold his eyes with her own, silently. He continued to wait. He was a patient man.

“I knew you would recognize it,” Sakura spoke first.

“Then why use it?” He asked her, pleased she had spoken first.

“I have no reason to hide...unlike you.” Sakura placed one of her hands on her shoulder, rubbing her muscle absently.

“Unlike me?” He pretended ignorance. There was no way she could have felt his presence...

“I felt you last night, in the forest deep, by the boarders. I thought...you might have been, someone else.” Sakura said truthfully. “Your chakra signature...I know it was you, why were you watching me?”

Hajime lifted his hand slowly, letting her know he meant her no harm and gathered a lock of her hair in between two of his fingers. “I saw you in the river.”

He let his hand drop back down to his side, shoving both of his hands into his pockets. “You were floating, alone...your hair...caught my eye.”

It would have. She understood. Kakashi had always loved the color of her hair, he had told her many times, but this man was not her Kakashi.

Hajime shrugged. “I was curious.”

Sakura opened her mouth to ask him another question but he cut her off.

“I’m still curious.” He leaned forward, into her personal space. “Why were you in the desert, at the Temple of Shukaku?” He almost whispered.

“You.” Sakura tilted her head back to look up into his dark grey eyes. “You were the chakra signature Tobirama sensed, but you...he said it disappeared, but…” She understood.

“Lightning release.” Sakura whispered. Kakashi used to be able to do that as well.

“Clever kunoichi.” Hajime grinned, leaning back onto his heels, his eyes cast down over her head, looking past her. “ Clever girl...so far from home.”

Sakura’s eyes went wide, she took an involuntary step back and stumbled. Hajime’s hand shot out and grabbed her by the arm, she kicked out, spun, and dropped to her left knee, but his grip was vice...he fell with her, rolled on top of her, pinned both of her arms above her head,,, and panted into the side of her neck.

“Who are you Sakura Hime, you don’t smell like anyone else from this time. Who are you, why are you here and why are you hunting the tailed beasts?” He demanded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tell me...


	56. Chapter 56

Both Hashirama’s and Madara’s chakra exploded throughout the training grounds, making Mito step back and away...Ashina draw his own chakra in and around himself in agitation and Sasuke Sarutobi’s eyes widen in horror, a protective hand dropped down onto his son, Hiruzen’s head.

“Sakura.” Tobirama had used his flying thunder kami technique and had reached her much faster than the others. Izuna ran up behind him, his eyes red and his tomes spinning.

“I’m fine,” Sakura assured Tobirama, her eyes fixed on Hajime’s. She could feel Tobirama’s anxiety. “It’s okay.” She told him, her arms pinned above her head, Hajime’s body pressing into hers.

“Are you?” Hashirama and Madara asked at the same time, Madara’s arms crossed over his chest, his eyes cold. Hashirama’s chakra continued to snap and crack around him, but Madara had calmed his chakra once he saw Sakura was indeed, fine.

“As you can see...” Sakura tried to calm her breathing, her chest rose and fell erratically, rubbing up against Hajime’s. “We’re just...talking. Aren’t we, Hajime San?”

The Hatake Clan head held her eye for a measured pause, then released her wrists and jumped to his feet, extending his hand down to help her up, an arrogant cock to his head that Kakashi...had never had. 

Sakura knocked his hand away with the back of her own hand and jumped gracefully to her feet, several paces away from him, closer to Madara and Tobirama. She wasn’t sure what to think of this man so like and unlike her Kakashi.

“I meant her no harm.” Hajime had his hands in the pockets of his pants again and shrugged. “We’re just getting to know one another.” Hajime smiled easily, winking at Sakura who continued to blink at him.

“You tried to blind her, then tackled her.” Izuna stepped froward into the clan head’s personal space, his temper shot. Who did this man think he was treating Sakura with such disrespect right before their eyes!

“Izuna,” Madara called out his brother’s name in warning. “Sakura handled the situation just fine. Have more faith in her.”

Izuna stepped back, his jaw clenched...he nodded stiffly at his brother, his eyes fixed on Hajime.

“She isn’t blind.” Tobirama agreed. “...but he couldn’t have known she would dodge his attack.” His red eyes narrowed at Hajime, he, like Izuna, didn’t trust the man...and...he had heard Sakura by the gate when the Hatake clan had first arrived, she had called him...Kakashi. A name she had unwittingly called him before and yet again he wondered, who was this Kakashi...

“Of course I knew. I saw the spar just moments ago, as you did. Of course, she would dodge such a simple attack.” Hajime raised one of his brows at Sakura.

She swallowed and nodded. She understood. “I saw his fingers twitch. I was prepared for the attack.” She admitted.

“...but.” Izuna began to protest again.

“Hime.” Sarutobi and Hiruzen walked up to Sakura and inclined their heads to her simultaneously. “What a beautiful display of both skill and grace. Konoha is blessed to have such a skilled kunoichi and medic to help us prosper.”

Sakura bit her bottom lip between her teeth. “If you’ll excuse me please.” She ducked her head, turned, and walked away from the small group. She couldn’t breathe. Her chest felt tight.

Tobirama watched her walk away, his eyes traveling back to Hajime who was also watching her.

Madara caught Hashirama’s eye. “Perhaps we should continue...with a tour of the blossoming market? Lunch?” He smiled cordially at the Uzumaki and the Hatake.

“Lunch sounds delightful.” Mito smiled at Madara, her arm twined with Hashirama’s.

“Please go on ahead without me. I wish to check on Sakura.” Tobirama bowed correctly, walking toward Sakura’s home beside the hospital.

“Did they make it official then?” Sasuke Sarutobi asked Hashirama curiously as Tobirama followed Sakura.

“Official?” Hashirama asked confused by the man’s question.

“Tobirama and Sakura Hime. Did they make it official, when is the wedding?” Sasuke smiled, unaware of the tension spreading to every limb on Hashirama’s body.

“They are not engaged,” Hashirama said with uncharacteristic shortness, garnering the sharp eye of the Uzumaki clan head as well as Hajime’s.

“Interesting.” Hajime looked off into the distance. 

Madara narrowed his eyes at the man. Was this Ashitoke’s reincarnation…

“We’ll be off then. It was nice to see you again Uzumaki San.” Sarutobi inclined his head to Ashina whom he had met before, then turned to Hajime. “...and you, Hatake San.”

“Likewise.” Hajime nodded to the Sarutobi whom he was on good terms with.

“A pleasure.” Ashina inclined his head more formally.

“Tobirama San seemed very worried for Lady Sakura. Are they engaged?” Mito inquired innocently. She could feel Hashirama’s arm stiffen further under her touch. “They make a fine couple. Don’t you think so Hashirama?” She commented and waited, wondering how he would react.

“They are not engaged.” Izuna snapped, then remembered himself as Madara shot him a warning look. “Forgive me, Mito Hime. My spar with Sakura has yet to fade from my blood. If you’ll excuse me.”

Izuna bowed to Mito who nodded to him with a graceful downturn of her lids.

Madara sighed heavily, no doubt his brother was going to check on Sakura as well. He would check on her later. She didn’t need more than two of them bothering her at a time...if that.

“The market is this way.” Madara gestured to the left of the training grounds, then walked ahead, leading the way.

She was laying in her garden when Tobirama found her. Her eyes were closed, her hair spread out underneath her head. She looked like she belonged there, like one of the flowers with her long pastel pink hair flowing out around her.

“Welcome home Sakura.” Tobirama’s deep voice sounded softly over the petals next to her face. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed her until he had seen her return, this is how he had meant to greet her at the gate.

Sakura opened her eyes and looked up to find Tobirama sitting beside her, his eyes intent, worried, and...resigned. “I’m sorry Tobirama.”

She wasn’t precisely sure why she felt the need to apologize to the Senju, only that…”I’m sorry for letting you get so close.” She added, closing her eyes so that she didn’t have to see the look of resigned disappointment on his face.

Tobirama took a deep breath and leaned forward, his elbow resting on his knee, the side of his face in his palm. Sakura opened her eyes again, she couldn’t hide from him, he deserved the explanation she knew she owed him. 

“How much did Hashirama tell you about our past?” She asked him, turning her head, reaching out for his free hand.

Tobirama folded her smaller hand into his larger one. She had been so fierce and so vibrant earlier when she had been sparing with Izuna but now she looked, frail...small and vulnerable.

“Too much,” Tobirama confessed. “More than I ever wished to know.” He understood just fine what she was asking, did he know, about Ashitoke Hatake. 

“I know about...the man Indra killed.” He looked down into her eyes that had begun to water and weep.

Sakura swallowed and nodded. “Yes, Ashitoke. There was another Hatake, from my own time.”

He understood. The pieces were finally falling into place. “Ah...Kakashi was a Hatake.”

Sakura’s hand jerked in his but he held onto it tightly, refusing to let her pull away from him when he was finally getting the answers to the questions he had refrained from asking her out of courtesy.

“You’ve mentioned him before in, times of distress and have...called me by that name when...waking from your dreams.” He said with as little emotion as possible. He had white hair like mine didn’t he, like Hajime’s?”

“I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” Sakura nodded. One tear slipped from the corner of her eye and fell on top of the flower closest to her cheek. “I was unaware I had spoken of him to you.”

“You still love him, don’t you.” He wasn’t asking, she knew, he wanted clarification. “I came to you without expectations. You don’t owe me anything Sakura.” This was hard for her, he could see that. It was hard for him too.

Tobirama let her hand slide from his, his fingers moved to the collar of her shirt, and traced the golden chain of the necklace he had gifted her. “When I...realized I had feelings for you…”

He paused, thinking…” I never expected you to return them. I had hoped you would of course but...I understand and…” How could he say what was in his heart…

“I care about you Tobirama but…” Sakura began.

“...but you don’t love me.” He nodded. “I understand.”

“I’m sorry Tobi.” Sakura sat up, his hand fell from her neck to her lap where she took his hand in both of hers. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, or make you think I felt more than I did.”

“You didn’t.” He tried to smile. “You were honest with me, you didn’t mislead me.” He assured her.

“Madara, he cares for you too, you know that I think and I think...that you care for him as well. Hashirama told me...you used to love him, Indra.” Tobirama watched her face fall and regretted his words. He shouldn’t have said anything. He was being selfish, only thinking of saiting his own vulgar curiosity. He pulled his hand from her grasp, he didn’t deserve to touch her right now.

“Indra is not Madara. Madara and I have spoken of this in length. Hashirama is not Ashura. I do not hold his past against him, but I...haven’t forgotten what he, did.” Sakura swallowed hard. She shouldn’t be speaking of such things with Tobirama.

“You would do well to remember the pain he caused you Sakura, while I agree with both you and Madara, that you are not the same people and that your past lives shouldn’t follow you into the present or the future...you would do well to remember that just because both you and Madara have changed, doesn’t mean that Ashura has changed as well.” Tobirama rose to his feet, pulling Sakura up with him and wrapped his arms around her, one last time.

“If you need me. I’m here.” Tobirama bent his head and kissed her, pulled her close to his chest sliding his hands up her back and into her hair. Tobirama broke their kiss abruptly. “You’re not alone anymore.” He whispered into the side of her neck just below her ear.

“You have your memories back, your life back. You’re not the same woman you were when we first met. I think.” He kissed the corner of her mouth again. “That you’re stronger now.”

Sakura closed her eyes, two more tears slid down the side of her face...she was a horrible person. Tobirama was a good man and she...was a terrible person for letting him come to her, for letting him touch her, for letting him hope...was she any better than Ashura…

When she opened her eyes again, she was alone.

Izuna stood on the edge of the clearing beside Sakura’s house and watched as Tobirama kissed her for what he hoped was the last time. He had heard most of their conversation and wondered...how he had been so blind to the Senju’s genuine affection for the same woman he cared deeply for, but admittedly...perhaps not as deeply as...Tobirama.

Izuna stood still as the Senju walked past him, acknowledged his presence with a jerking nod of his head, and continued down the narrow path, back toward the central tower.

Izuna remained standing, leaning his shoulder against one of the many trees that lined Sakura’s clearing. Should he go to her or should he leave...he should leave, slowly, he turned and walked away. Like the Senju, if she needed him he would be there for her but he thought...like the Senju, he might need her more than she needed them.

Mito observed the many casual yet pointed glances that passed between Madara Uchiha and her intended as they walked to the market. She heard the quiet murmur of her father and the Hatake Clan head behind them as they walked and wondered...how one lone woman had accomplished such a feat as to have not one, but many strong and powerful men...wrapped around her dainty little finger.

It was clear to Mito, who was also a strong and clever woman, that both Madara and Hashirama were in love with the little pink-haired medic, but it was just as clear to Mito, that it wasn’t clear to either man...that the little pink-haired medic wasn’t as interested in them, as they were in her. Mito chuckled to herself. Men were so oblivious sometimes.

Mito looked over her shoulder at the Hatake clan head...he too had fallen under the woman’s spell it seemed and she wondered...was Sakura a witch, was it some kind of jutsu or secret kunoichi technique that she had invented...she would ask her, later in privacy. Sakura was a kunoichi worth investigating and possibly...befriending.

The dark grey eyes of Hajime focused on the darker black of Mito’s making her flush. That man...was more than he seemed. Mito turned her head forward and tightened her grip on Hashirama’s arm. Yes, she would need to befriend Sakura Hime...the woman was too much of an adversary to make an enemy of.

Hajime tapped his fingers on the side of his pants as they walked. He was annoyed. Annoyed that his conversation with Sakura had been interrupted, annoyed that she had backed down to him so easily, if reluctantly...annoyed that they were walking to the market while she was being comforted by the younger Senju and no doubt the younger Uchiha.

His slate eyes followed the agitated gait of the Senju clan head. Apparently, he wasn’t the only annoyed one in the group and he wondered...what exactly was the man’s relationship with the woman.

A slight cough drew Hajime’s eyes from the Senju to the Uchiha. Madara Uchiha was calm, unlike Hashirama Senju. There was no agitation or tension in the air surrounding the Uchiha clan head and Hajime wondered...perhaps it wasn’t the Senju who held the affections of the woman, but the Uchiha. He recalled the conversation he had overheard by the river the first day he had seen Sakura speaking to her summons.

Who was a friend, and who was competition he wondered?

Tobirama met them at the entrance to the market. “Have you shown them the academy yet?” He asked his brother.

“The opportunity hasn’t presented itself. After lunch, we can circle back that way so they can tour the academy and perhaps the hospital if Sakura is available.” Hashirama asked his brother how she was, without asking the question openly, and raising Mito’s already growing suspicions of his affection for Sakura.

Tobirama understood of course and nodded. “I’m sure we will find Sakura wrist deep in her most recent batch of solider pills.” He had seen the freshly picked herbs on her garden table when he had gone to check on her and wondered when she had found the time to pick them when she had just returned.

“Solider pills, Sakura Hime knows how to make solider pills?” Ashina was impressed yet again, the woman was full of surprises.

“Miricle pills would be a more fitting name for the pills Sakura can produce. They have a shelf life of twelve months, and regenerate both endurance and chakra at 5 times the rate as the currently known and distributed solider pills from Benisu Island.” Madara said with such annoying casualness it stoked Ashina’s interest even further.

“Really.” Ashina stroked his long white beard. “Where did she learn such a thing, who was her master?” He inquired.

Hajime broke out into a loud barking laugh. “A woman like her could only have another woman as a master. No man will ever be the master of such a pig-headed woman.” He laughed again at his own brash comment.

Madara paused in his step, turned around to face the Hatake Clan head. “No man is worthy to be her master, but perhaps it is best to ask Sakura herself, rather than make...crude assumptions about someone you’ve just met.”

“Who said we’ve just met? You assume this is the first time I’ve seen the woman. It is you who assumes too much, Uchiha.” Hajime rocked back onto his heels...waiting. He had heard of the Uchiha’s temper and ruthlessness, though, he had never experienced it first hand.

“Ah.” Hashirama broke out into loud boisterous laughter, surprising even Madara, who was staring at Hajime with such intensity it had even made Tobirama more than slightly nervous to witness. “Come come, it doesn’t matter if Hatake San has met Sakura before now does it Madara?” Hashirama smiled a fake smile at his friend.

“I suppose,” Madara said.

Hajime grinned. “I saw her in the river, such a strange woman, just floating down the river, her hair spread out around her in the current.” Hajime shook his head as though he were recalling his thoughts. 

“Then, suddenly, she cast off toward the shore, called forth her summons, and bounded off toward the Land of Wind.” Hajime watched the twitching fingers at Madara’s side and the slight jerk of Hashirama’s head at this information. The Uchiha had known she was in Wind country...interesting.

“You saw her summons then.” Madara wasn’t asking.

“I did.” Hajime smiled a charming smile, quite an inappropriate smile for the tension in the air.

“What kind of summons does Lady Sakura have?” Mito asked curiously.

No one spoke. Mito looked up at Hashirama to supply the answer but it was his brother Tobirama who looked at her and replied. “The Wolves of the Wild.”

Mito gasped. “I thought they were extinct. Incredible.”

“Isn’t it?” Hajime winked at Mito who blinked at him, then laughed lightly, it was a lovely sound and it drew Hashirama’s attention to her, if only for a moment.

Sakura sorted through the herbs on her garden table, wondering who had taken the time to pick them for her, and noticing that they were all herbs that she used to make her solider pills. It must have been Tobirama, he was the only one whom she had shared her recipe with. It could have been Izuna though, she paused, he had been the one to commission the solider pills from her, he would have taken note of which herbs she had used when she had returned his storage scroll to her.

She knew what she was doing. She was trying not to think of him. Sakura tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Kakashi Hatake...the Copy Nin of Konoha. Kakashi Sensei...Sakura giggled. Cold-Hearted Friend Killer Kakashi...she shook her head...no one had ever known him as she had known him.

_“Maa Sakura, why do you torture your poor sensei so?” Kakashi complained as he pulled the shirt off and over his head as he sat on the hospital examination bed._

_“Shut it and open your mouth Sensei.” Sakura advanced on the older man, tongue depressor in one hand, chakra infused fist at the ready._

_Kakashi’s whole demeanor changed making her paused her advance. “Careful Sakura, you’re not my student anymore and I’m no longer your sensei.” His voice was low._

_Sakura raised one pink brow in surprise, Kakashi had never spoken to her like this before. “Oh? I suppose you’re right. I’m your doctor now and you’re my patient.” She smirked._

_“Now be a good boy and open your mouth.” Sakura smiled sweetly at her old sensei, leaning forward with the tongue depressor, allowing the chakra to fade from her other hand, placing it on the bed next to Kakashi’s leg._

_Kakashi’s eyes flashed mischievously, he grinned and opened his mouth, waited for her to lean in a bit more, then grabbed her around the waist...flipping her over and pinning her to the examination bed. “Do you still miss Sasuke Sakura, or have you moved past the childish dream of saving him yet?”_

_Sakura blinked up at her old sensei in surprise. “Kakashi?”_

_“Even if he comes back to the village Sakura, he won’t be the same boy who left, you know that. What will you do Sakura? Will you forgive him? Again?” Kakashi smoothed the hair back from her face with the back of his hand._

_“I’ve always thought, your hair was the most beautiful color of pink.” He told her. “You were so weak Sakura when I first took you on as one of my Genin.”_

_He leaned into her body, pressing her further into the soft bed. “You’re not weak anymore though are you, you’re not my student anymore…” He said again, his fingers lifting a handful of her hair to his nose, inhaling her scent deeply with his eyes closed._

_“Even as a young girl...your scent was delicate.” He inhaled again. “You’ve grown into a beautiful woman Sakura.”_

_“When Sasuke returns to Konoha, he will have certain expectations of you.” Kakashi opened his eyes and looked down at her, stroking the side of her face gently. “Will you give in to him, or will you realize...you have other options?”_

_“Kakashi.” Sakura began to struggle, to lift her arms, to sit up but he moved again, pinning her forcefully to the bed once more. “Kakashi…” Sakura growled in a much different tone._

_“That’s my girl, there’s that fire.” Kakashi bent his head and kissed her forcefully._

_Sakura’s eyes went wide with shock, but her arms moved without her permission and wrapped around his neck, her body betrayed her as she started to move against his. He bit down lightly on her bottom lip, his tongue smoothing over the soft skin making her gasp._

_“You’re worth so much more, it’s about time you realized who you really are,” Kakashi whispered into her mouth._


	57. Soul transfer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NM
> 
> Updated tags, make sure to read. I'm not responsible for mushy love crap if you don't.
> 
> Mush mush.
> 
> This chapter is for Avidreader who well...I thought of while I wrote this mush mush crap :P Thanks K.

Sakura woke with a start. Her fingers gripping her blanket. “Kakashi.” Her hands went to cover her face as she began to weep.

Madara watched her from the corner of her bedroom. He had found her collapsed in her garden, beside her table, had carried her inside and laid her in her bed. He hadn’t thought she would have any more episodes, now that the memory seal had been broken. It worried him. Did that mean that...Black Zetsu as she called it, wasn’t dead? Was that thing...still inside of him, or perhaps her?

He hoped not.

“I’m jealous.” Madara’s voice was low.

Sakura lifted her head from her hands.

“I would have liked to have met him.” He rose from his seat and sat down beside her on her bed. “He must have been something special to earn such...uncomparable loyalty from someone like you.”

“He was.” She whispered, looking down at her hands in her lap, refusing to look Madara in the eyes...she didn’t want him to see her like this, to see her cry over…” There is no one else like my Kakashi and there never will be again.”

“Hn.” Madara raised his hand to brush the hair back from her face but she stopped him with her own hand, grabbing his wrist. 

“Madara I…” She began but he interrupted her, his voice low and...dark.

“Even Ashitoke, or Hajime?” He asked her quietly.

Sakura flinched. Madara immediately regretted his selfishness.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized, his hand hovering beside her face. “I only meant…”

Sakura cut him off before he could explain himself.

“I know what you meant, Madara.” She choked. She wanted to touch him, him to hold her, kiss her...make her forget that she was...that Kakashi was…

Sakura shook the thoughts from her head, her hair falling down over her face. No...she couldn’t keep doing this, she couldn’t keep using people to...forget.

“I’m sorry but...I’d like to be alone Madara.” She spoke through the curtain of hair that blocked her face from his view.

“Of course.” Madara let his hand fall onto the bed. Why was she holding back...he could feel her chakra pulsating for him, she wanted him, he wanted her...“If you need me…”

“I know where to find you.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “Thank you, Madara, for your understanding.”

Madara didn’t understand, how could he...but he didn’t wish to press her either. If he forced her, he would lose her.

Hajime sat in the tree beside Sakura’s house, his book open and forgotten on his lap as he watched the Uchiha Clan Head slide the front door to the woman’s home open, and then shut it again behind himself. So...Hajime smiled, she had kicked him out once she had woken up. Interesting…

Perhaps he had been mistaken then, perhaps it was the Uchiha Clan head that wanted the woman but she wanted...someone or something else? The Wolves of the Wild were not to be taken lightly, not every soul could call them friend, could call them family. Sakura was...different. She wasn’t coy like Mito, she wasn’t fake like Hashirama...she was...loyal, fierce, kind and...Hajime swallowed, his cheeks flushing, innocent. 

...an innocent soul...breakable. It was a rarity, that needed to be protected. It was the curse that drew the rest fo them to her. Did she know he wondered...who she really was?

After lunch in the market, their little group had gone to the hospital, only to find that Sakura had not been there as Tobirama had expected her to be. Hashirama had wanted to go to her home, insisting they check on her...together. So they did, all of them.

They had found her in the garden, collapsed among her flowers, a fistful of herbs in one hand, and a faded seal in the other. Hajime had recognized the seal, faded and broken as it was, as a seal of the Uzumaki and was sure that the Uzumaki had noticed it too...even if they hadn’t voiced their observation openly, how could they not have noticed…

The woman was a walking enigma.

Their small tour had dispersed shortly after Madara Uchiha had taken the woman into her house, insisting he be the one to stay with her, in case he was needed. The Senju brothers had nodded, reluctantly, but with good grace. He, Mito, and her father, along with the Senju had retreated back to the central tower for tea and then had gone their separate ways.

The Uzumaki were staying with the Senju at their main house, as Mito was betrothed to Hashirama. The Hatake’s were being housed with the Uchiha, as was expected with Hajime’s title, much to Izuna’s annoyance and Hajime amusement.

After a brief tour of the nearby grounds to the Uchiha’s main house, Hajime had left, claiming curiosity of the layout for the rest of the village, wishing to explore on his own, leaving his two clansmen to arrange their room and settle in for their stay.

Unintentionally, he had found his way back here, to Sakura’s house...and had jumped to the tree outside her bedroom window, and waited.

Hajime watched Madara Uchiha’s form fade into the distance, his head turning back to Sakura’s bedroom window. She hadn’t moved. With the flexibility and skill of a trained shinobi, Hajime dropped to the ground soundlessly and with little effort, leaned his back against the tree, and watched her boldly through her window. 

All she had to do was look up, turn her head to the left and she would see him...but she didn’t. Instead, she wept, burying her face in her hands and calling out for the man she had once loved. 

“Kakashi…” He heard her whimper over and over, a pitiful sound. “Ka Kakashi…”

Who was Kakashi, and why would he leave her in the company of so many men without protection. Was he dead? Had she left him...was that why her smile never truly reached her eyes...because she had lost the only person who could truly make her happy?

Night fell around him, he should leave. 

Hajime stretched and yawned. She hadn’t moved for hours, but she no longer wept. Sakura sat in her bed staring at her hands. This was not the woman he had seen earlier that afternoon. She was not the same woman who had punched holes into the ground, used his own headhunter jutsu, and sent both the younger and the older Uchiha leaping up into the air to avoid her ire.

The woman in the bedroom, the woman in the window...was so much more real to him than the pink-haired hellion earlier that afternoon. The woman in the bed...was the woman he saw in his dreams, vulnerable, lonely, and loyal.

He wanted to reach out to her, he wanted to touch her but...his jaw tightened, there was something that repelled him as much as it drew him into her. Hajime didn’t understand this feeling. He both wanted to kiss her and rip her apart at the same time.

Still...that something about her that made him want to...he took one step forward and stopped, his fist clenched at his side. It wasn’t her...it was just a dream. It wasn’t real, she wasn’t real. He felt ridiculous and yet...as he watched Sakura lean her head back against the wall, he could almost feel her loss, her sorrow and he thought maybe...she was just as lonely as he was. Maybe, she would understand.

She was...

“You’re worth so much more, it’s about time you realized who you really are,” Hajime pushed off from the trunk of the tree, bowed low from the waist, turned, and walked toward the Uchiha compound. It was getting late. His feelings didn’t matter, he had long given up the need to feel.

Sakura looked up and turned her head to the left. He had left. She wondered, why he had stayed for so long, what purpose did it serve to stand by and observe her falling apart…

He was in turmoil, she could feel his emotional intent rise and fall like a leaf on the wind, he hadn’t even tried to control it or hide it from her. 

“Oh.” She realized. He knew that she had already known he was there.

Kakashi stood before the memorial stone, his fists shoved into his pockets, his eyes fixated on the two names carved into the stone...names he had seen thousands of times standing here as he was now, for the last time. “Forgive me Rin, Obito...I’m not going to die a hero, like you two. I’ll see you soon. I hope.”

Kakashi turned his back to the memorial stone for the last time and smiled up at the moon. “I’m ready.” 

_“What the fuck were you thinking of, running out in front of us like that! I told you to wait! I told you I would go first!” Kakashi slammed his fist into the wall beside Sakura’s head making the wood crack and splinter around his wrist, chips of wood flew outward from the impact, one slicing a shallow cut on Sakura’s right cheek._

_“If I had let you go first, you’d be dead now and you know it.” She said much calmer than she felt._

_“I’m not a child anymore, I can fight and I will not let you throw your life away for mine if I can save us both you stubborn pig-headed man!” Her calm broke. He had pushed her far enough._

_Kakashi’s slammed his other fist into the wall to the left of Sakura’s head, wood splintering out from his fist again. “Damn it Sakura.” He pressed his forehead against hers, his breath hard and choked._

_“I thought...I was going to lose you. I thought...they had killed you…” He whispered, his breath hot against her face._

_“You didn’t move until I...I thought...Don’t you understand anything!” He demanded, his fingers gripping the splintered wood, blood dripping down his wrists onto his shirt and hers._

_“I can’t...if I lost you, I’d...that’s it…” He fell into her, wrapping his bloodied fists up into her hair, his fingers digging painfully into her skull, pulling and pushing against her._

_“I’d snap. No one would make it out alive.” She could barely hear him...it was a threat, it was a promise. “No one. Is that what you want Sakura? Is that how you want me to prove my love for you? Do you want me to kill them all? I will. Say the word and...”_

_“Kakashi.” Sakura’s knees bent under his weight and they collapsed to the floor of the Hokage Tower office._

_“I need you.” He pulled at her shirt, ripping the collar in his haste. “You can’t...do that to me.” He growled, pulling her shirt from her chest frantically._

_“You need to be punished.” He pulled a kunai from his pouch and slit her chest wraps in one motion, standing back, to watch them fall to the floor around her._

_“Take them off.” He pulled at her pants. “Or I’ll cut them off.”_

_“Kakashi, someone could walk in on us, let’s go to my apartment, please.” Sakura began._

_Kakashi growled and lunged forward cutting her ties and ripping her pants from her legs, lifted her up, and slammed her against the doors to his office._

_“No time. I need you now, no time. Not going to stop.” He panted, his fingers pulling at the ties fo his own pants as he slid her further up the door, lined himself up with her knowing full well she wasn’t ready for him and dropped her back down over his cock._

_“Ungh.” Kakashi bit into her neck as he rocked up into her._

_Sakura gasped, it hurt. Kakashi moaned, she adjusted herself and relaxed against him._

_“I’m sorry. I had to…” He closed his eyes as she started to move with him. “...be closer to you.”_

_“I know.” Sakura bent her head. She understood. He needed to feel her, to reassure himself that she was his that he...hadn’t lost her._

_He had lost so much, so many that...sometimes he would show up in the middle of the night, every time he returned to the village, she knew...he would come to her. They would make love, fuck...whatever he needed. Then he would hold her and tell her over and over how much he loved her, adored her...soemtimes, he would tell her things...from his past. Things that no one knew about, things, no one was meant to know about._

_He would touch her then, softly, slowly...almost timidly as though she would...disappear and he would be left alone...again. Broken._

_Sakura held onto him, her legs wrapped around his waist, her face buried in his shoulder as he slammed her up against the back of the office door repeatedly, his words slurred and barked out in between gasps and curses._

_“Can’t, get...close enough.” He moaned and bit at her neck._

_“Kakashi, please.” Sakura pulled at his hair, clawing at his scalp._

_“Break you, I want to break you to know...that you’re real, you’re mine and you’re…” Sakura held her breathe._

_Two quick, sharp forceful thrusts had the wood behind her back cracking and splitting. They fell to the floor again, this time in a tangled heap of sweat-soaked skin and remorse._

_“I’m sorry.” Kakashi buried his head in her hair, inhaling deeply, as though he couldn’t breathe her in enough, a man starved, choking...dying. “I’m sorry I’m so weak.” He murmured._

_“It’s okay to be weak with me...Kakashi.” She wrapped her body around his, lovingly, protectively. “If I can be strong for you.”_

_He nodded. “You’re strong because you were once weak.”_

_Sakura smiled into his spiky white locks. “Then be weak Kakashi, with me. Only me.”_

_He nodded, only you, always you...he promised her, forever._

Sakura rolled over in her bed, opened her eyes, and looked out her bedroom window. She had fallen asleep. She had been dreaming, not with Madara, but of Kakashi. “Kakashi.”

It was late out, she could tell by the smell of the air. Sakura walked to her window and opened the shutters...who had closed them. She turned, she could feel him…” Kakashi.”

He was in her kitchen, leaning up against her counter, drinking her herbal tea.

“You’re awake.” He rolled his book up and shoved it in his back pocket.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Sakura walked across the small kitchen and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You said before that, that you wouldn’t have long that this time, the next time you came would be...would be.”

“Sakura. It’s going to be okay.” Kakashi ran his fingers through her hair over and over as he stared into her eyes. “You’ve always had the most beautiful color hair, my Sakura. I had hoped that...we would have a little girl one day with hair the same color as yours, as her...mothers.”

Tears flooded Sakura’s eyes. “I can’t do this Kakashi, I can’t do this, be here without you, I miss you, I love you so much and I can’t...let me come with you. Let me come with you, please.”

“No, it’s not your time.” He rested his chin on top of her head and pulled her close, as close as he could...which wasn’t nearly close enough. “You still have things to do.”

“I don’t care.” She argued.

Kakashi laughed. “So irresponsible Doctor Haruno.” He teased her, then looked away, he had always hated it when she cried. “This isn’t the end Sakura, don’t you know that? I’ll always be with you, here.” He pressed his hand over her heart.

“Your reincarnation…” She began.

“Is not me. I don’t care what the Sage says. I am my own man. I am Hatake Kakashi and I loved you as I am, as you are.” His hands tightened around her wrists as he pushed her back and away from him so that he could look at her properly. “You are Sakura Haruno. Don’t ever forget that.”

“Whatever we might have been in our former lives or whatever we will be in the future, no one...no one has ever loved you the way I love you.” He shook her slightly. “No one.”

“Takeo said…” Sakura began.

Kakashi smiled. “Takeo loves you, he does but...again Sakura, not like I do. He wanted our souls to combine with my predecessors but…” Kakashi scratched his chin, grinning mischievously.

“I’ve changed my mind.” He pressed his forehead against hers, his shoulders hunched over so he could meet her eyes. “I’ve decided to stay with you, forever.”

“Stay with me but I thought…” She began to hope. “I thought you said you would, that you only had enough energy for one more meeting and then, you’d, you’d…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the words.

“You should know by now Sakura, that I would never leave you. What is time or space to loyalty or devotion...nothing. It is nothing do you hear me?” He pulled her close once more, hugging her, crushing her to his chest. “My soul will remain where it belongs, with you. Takeo can have his other half back, you belong only to me.”

“The wolf thought he would use me to get to you but...I’ve changed my mind. I want you all to myself.” Kakashi kissed her nose. “I’m selfish like that I suppose.”

“So you...I don’t understand Kakashi.” Sakura looked up into his slate rain eyes.

“You’re my soul mate. I’ve never felt closer to anyone than when I am with you and yet...it was never close enough, I could never get close enough to you, but I think...this will be okay. One body, one soul.” Kakashi kissed her mouth gently. “For this life and the next and every life after that.”

Kakashi pulled the soul seal Naruto had given him before he had come, made the hand signs, and pressed the seal against Sakura’s chest, just over her heart. “I love you Sakura.”

“Kakashi, I love you too.” She looked down at his hands as he whirled through more hand signs.

“I’ll not do this without your permission. We will be bonded forever, for eternity. This isn’t like Takeo splitting his soul to find you, this isn’t like the seal Sasuke stole to send you here...it is permanent, it is forever.” His finger stroked the side of her face, wiping away the remnants of her tears.

She nodded. “Forever.”

“We will love again, over and over again…” Kakashi closed his eyes and pressed all of his remaining chakra into the seal.

Sakura could feel his chakra moving with hers, flooding her coils and spreading out into her veins, her blood her...soul. “Kakashi.”

Kakashi opened his eyes and smiled. “Finally. This is what I had always wanted, what I had always hoped for...to be this close to you, forever.” He could feel his life leaving him, replaced by something much more satisfying, finally...he was home.

Sakura watched as his body faded away, the smile on his unmasked face fading in the dim light, warmth, and reassurance spread throughout her body making her feel complete...she hadn’t realized that she had been...empty. Her soul had returned, she felt…

“No matter what happens, whatever the future brings, we’ll be together.” Kakashi’s voice came to her from deep within. She could no longer feel his lips on her skin, his touch faded from her face.

“Arigato, Kakashi.” Sakura hugged her arms around herself, fell to the floor, and sobbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know.
> 
> Discord server: https://discord.gg/8r5Mza


	58. Shukaku come home

Hajime jumped up from his pallet, his hand over his heart. There was a warmth spreading through him… 

What…” He gasped, his fingers clenching at the fabric of his shirt. It had happened again, only this time he didn’t feel loss, he felt...whole again, as if part of him had...returned.

“Hajime Sama.” Imoka sat up in his sleeping pallet across the room from his clan head. “Is everything alright Hajime Sama?”

“Yes, I’m fine, go back to sleep.” Hajime rubbed his chest, his pulse racing...why now. Why had this happened again and why did it feel, different this time.

A year ago, he had been in his home at the Hatake estate, when he had felt suddenly ill. He thought that he had inhaled a poison or that his clan had come under some genjutsu attack. It had started out small, slight, a throbbing pain in his heart, then a more painful piercing one, just above and below...then, like lightning, he felt a searing burn straight through his chest, that spread out and across his body burning his flesh, making him lose consciousness.

When he woke, there were no burns, no more pain but he felt...empty lost and...lonely. Like a part of his heart had gone...missing. That’s when he had started to have the oddest dreams, of a woman, with pink hair and eyes the color of spring leaves. He had never known what the dreams had meant until...he had seen her that day, floating in the river.

...like she had been waiting for him to find her, and he had realized...that his dreams had been real.

At first, he thought he was going mad. He, like everyone in the shinobi world, had heard of the Sage of Six Paths, knew the story of how the Sage was the son of the woman who had eaten the forbidden fruit of the kami tree and how he had eventually had two sons, Ashura and Indra.

Hearing or reading the tales of the founders and creators of ninshu, that was the basis for their ninjutsu was one thing, to see the struggle, the heartache, and the betrayal through the reaching tendrils of time...was another.

Hajime hadn’t told anyone about his unusual dreams. He didn’t know why he was having them, he had never shown any particular interest in that part of history. It gave him something to think about as he trained, as he went about his day but nothing more, they were only dreams.

...but when he had seen Sakura floating in the river, her long pink hair floating out around her, her green eyes looking up into the sky...he knew it was more, call it a hunch.

The woman he had been dreaming of for over a year now, had been right before his eyes, floating alone in the river. He had heard rumors of the woman, that she had befriended the two clan heads of the Uchiha and the Senju through her guile and charm, but to look at her...he thought that rumor false.

Coy and manipulative women did not seek out solitude in the form of rivers and forests, they were too busy scheming to...reflect. She had seemed at peace, thoughtful, calm and content. So he had watched her. 

When he and his men had arrived at the gates of Konoha he had been surprised to see her almost nose to nose with the brother of Hashirama Senju. The younger Senju had been about to kiss her when he had...interrupted them. He wondered at their relationship. He wondered if he hadn’t interrupted them, would the man have kissed her, would she have let him kiss her?

...had he kissed her before? What did it matter to him...what was this feeling in his gut that he couldn’t seem to quell.

Hajime threw the bedding back from his body, rose to his feet, pulling his pack from the chair by the door, and walked out of the room. He needed some air. He needed to think.

Sakura’s palm ghosted over the tops of the timothy grass, their soft whisps tickling her hand. She sighed, closing her eyes and turning her face up to the sky. With a burst of chakra to her feet, she leapt into the air, grabbed a hold of the nearest branch, and swung up into the tallest tree.

The stars had never been this numerous or so bright.

Tobirama’s words came back to her as she held onto the top of the tree with her left hand. “You shine, you glow.”

“Do I?” She asked the moon, “Do I shine?”

Sakura ran her fingers over the necklace thoughtfully. Tobirama was a good man, but Kakashi had...given his life to be with her, forever. She thought of Madara and of Hashirama. “This is my hell.” She whispered up at the moon.

“I’m in a hell that never ends, for my sins.” She looked down at the ground, far below...then back up at the moon and the stars. “He died for me.” She whispered.

“For us, so that...we would never be apart again but.” What good was that when you can’t hold yourself? She felt horribly selfish. “I’m a terrible person.”

Sakura looked back up at the moon. Was she there? Was Kaguya there looking down at her now? “I don’t want to be here anymore.” 

She let go of the branch, her body tumbled and turned through the air. Just before she hit the ground she twisted, turned, and kicked out at the tree beside her, righting herself and landing gracefully on the soft moss-covered forest floor. “...but since I am, and now that Kakashi is...protected...I should …”

Sakura bit her bottom lip between her teeth. Takeo, what would he say when he found out what Kakashi had done. Sakura bit her thumb and pressed it to the forest’s floor.

“What have you done, your chakra, its...” Takeo hung his head low in defeat. “What did he do?”

Sakura stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Takeo’s neck, resting her head on his shoulder. He had come in a smaller form, his fur shivered and shook, he knew. Of course, he knew, he had probably felt it the moment his soul had returned to him.

“It was his choice.” Sakura hugged her friend. “He’s gone now.” She didn’t want to cry anymore, Kakashi had always hated it when she cried but...her shoulders shook.

“I’m here still.” Takeo lifted a big paw and hung it over her shoulder. “I can still love you, like this, as I did before.” His chest felt heavier, he felt whole, and yet he felt...cheated. Those damn Hatake, always doing whatever they wanted without any regard for others. Unpredictable. Could he trust the new one, the Hatake of this time to take care of her when the other had clearly...

“I love you too Takeo, you know that right?” Sakura leaned back and kissed Takeo’s nose. “We were never meant to be together like that though.”

“I know.” Takeo hung his head again. “I brought him to you, maybe...that’s enough.”

“I am grateful.” Sakura kissed Takeo on the nose again and hugged him close.

There was a shifting in the wind. Takeo could feel his fur standing up on end. Something was coming, something powerful…”Sakura…” Takeo’s eyes darted to and fro.

“I feel it, don’t worry it just…” Sakura turned her head west, toward the desert.

“He’s coming.” Takeo lifted his head and sniffed the air.

Sakura could feel it too, it was faint but she thought that maybe...it was low, close to the ground and moving...at an alarming rate. “Shukaku.” She smiled.

Hajime could feel her chakra moving in the forest, her signature had changed and it was...much stronger than it had been before when it had been nearly invisible. He turned and ran toward her signature, curious to see what she was doing out in the forest, in the middle of the night and why her chakra signature had changed...did it have to do with...he placed his right hand over his heart as he jumped up to the trees and ran deeper into the forest.

Tobirama pulled his shirt on over his head and shoved his legs into his pants. Sakura’s chakra signature had changed, it was darker, stronger, and much more prominent. He needed to check on her, to make sure she was alright. He needed to see her for himself after what had happened that afternoon and then later in her garden.

Sakura could feel them, all of them moving in on her and panicked. Tobirama knew she had been looking for Shukaku, he would understand but Hajime, he was already suspicious of her and he had already confronted her about the tailed beasts…

What would he do when…

” Tobirama, of course, you made it here first.” Sakura smiled at the man who had just flashed into existence in front of her.

“Sakura, your chakra...” Tobirama turned and bowed to Takeo quickly. “Master Wolf.”

Takeo inclined his head gracefully to the Senju. “Pup.”

Tobirama raised a white eyebrow but refrained from vocalizing his...disagreement to the wolf’s term. Turning back to Sakura, he looked her over carefully, he felt Hajime closing in on them as well as…no...

” He’s coming here? You told him to come here?” Tobirama looked over his shoulder as a huge wall of sand collapsed in front of them a moment later, forcing them to take several steps backward.

“Pinky. I’ve come to hear more of what you have to say about this peace you promised me.” Shukaku looked down at Sakura from a moderate height.

“So I see. I didn’t promise you peace Shukaku. I promised to do everything I could to keep you and the other tailed beasts from being used as weapons and imprisoned.” Sakura corrected the tanuki, smiling up at him as he watched her with suspicious eyes. 

“Who is that,” Shukaku growled toward Tobirama.

“A friend, like you.” Sakura waved a casual hand at Tobirama who narrowed his eyes at the tailed beast. This, was a terrible idea...

“I don’t like him.” Shukaku leaned down, sniffing in Tobirama’s general vicinity.

“Excuse me racoon?” Tobirama narrowed his eyes to slits, his hand going to his pouch.

Shukaku rose and sat back onto the haunches of his back legs. “Oh? You wanna fight do you?” He taunted the Senju.

Sakura laughed. Shukaku was just like she remembered. A small sad smile curved her lips as she looked up at him. Seeing him like this made her miss Gaara, Temari and...all of the other friends she had made in Suna after the war.

“It’s good to see you Shukaku.” She said quietly. “I’m glad you came.” 

Shukaku cocked his head at the strange woman, ignoring the white haired man in front of him for now. She looked like she was going to cry. Did she really care...that much about him? If he had known that there was someone out there like this, someone who cared for him...he might have left the temple sooner, to find her.

“I've missed you.” Sakura wiped a tear from her eye, stepped forward and hugged one of Shukaku’s front paws. “Shrink down would you? I want to hug you properly.” Sakura looked up at the sand tanuki expectantly, as though she had hugged him many times before.

Shukaku paused for the barest of moments, then shrunk, down to a smaller, more compact tanuki...leapt up onto her shoulder and let her kiss his nose.

“Thank you Shukaku.” Sakura pulled him from her shoulder, hugged him to her chest and kissed him repeatedly.

Shukaku rolled in her arms, his paws over his chest, bent at the wrists and looked up at her in awe. No one had ever hugged him like this before, it felt...good. Really good to be...loved. He could feel the love she had in her heart for him...he was, shocked and amazed, pleased and...worried. What if, she changed her mind, what if she stopped loving him one day... No one had ever kissed him like this before.

...no one had ever...loved him before aside from the Sage of Six Paths, and that had been a very long time ago. So long ago, that he had thought, he had forgotten what love felt like. Until she had hugged him, until she had kissed him.

However, the Sage had never been this...affectionate with him. He could get used to this.

Hajime watched from a nearby tree. He knew they knew he was there but he wasn’t ready to show himself, yet. Sakura was...kissing a tailed beast like a, like a pet. 

Takeo turned his head to the trees and growled. How long was Sakura going to kiss that ugly racoon...how long was the white haired Senju going to follow her like lost pup...how long was Kakashi’s predecessor going to hide in that damn fucking tree!

“Come out!” He called out to Hajime who sighed, then dropped to the ground beside Sakura and Tobirama.

“Master Wolf.” Hajime nodded to Takeo who bared his teeth at him. “So...it isn’t just wolves that like you, but racoons as well I see.” Hajime raised a brow at Shukaku who was still cuddled up in her embrace.

“I have many friends Hajime.” Sakura turned to face him fully. “...not so many enemies.”

“How fortunate for you.” He watched the tanuki in her arms, turn to look at him.

“You one of em?” Shukaku sat up on his hind legs and glared at the man.

“Not at all one tail, not at all. I was merely making an observation.” Hajime held his hands up in front of his chest, smiling lazily. Did the woman have the slightest clue how well protected she was?

“We should leave, now.” Shukaku looked up at Sakura, blinking.

He was adorable. Just as adorable as she remembered him to be. Sakura had always loved Shukaku in this smaller form, Kurama too. 

Gaara used to carry Shukaku inside the loop of his Kazekage uniform until it had caused a surge of fangirls to follow him around with cameras, even more than they had before he had started dining the cute tanki in his belt.

“Leave now?” Sakura looked down at Shukaku inquisitively.

“Yes, you said you would find the other tailed beasts, talk to them, help us.” Shukaku’s yellow crossed eyes fell on Tobirama. “He can’t come.” He said stiffly, making Sakura laugh.

“He won’t be coming. Be nice Shukaku, I told you, Tobirama is a friend.” Sakura tapped the little racoon on the nose. “Besides, I can’t leave just yet.”

“Why not?” Shukaku demanded impatiently.

Sakura laughed. “You surprise me Shukaku. You’re much more trusting than you were...before.” Sakura’s eyes darted to Hajime who was listening carefully.

“I can feel what’s in your heart.” He said simply. “You spoke the truth, your intentions are admirable...even if they are impossible.” He added the last part with a roll of his eyes.

“All I can do is try.” Sakura looked down at her feet.

“What is it you are trying to do Sakura Hime?” Hajime asked.

“Hime?” Shukaku looked up at Sakura. “Oh, I understand now.”

“Huh?” Sakura looked down at Shukaku ignoring Hajime.

“Only royalty would assume such a stupid task.” Shukaku settled himself more comfortably in Sakura’s arms. “I’ll help you though, for what good that may do you.”

“Thank you Shukaku. I think if the other tailed beasts see you with me, they will be more inclined to at least listen to what I have to say.” Sakura pet Shukaku on the head.

“Why are you hunting the tailed beasts?” Hajime stepped closer to Sakura, his eyes never leaving Shukaku’s small form. He didn’t trust the one tail.

Takeo growled, but Hajime ignored him.

“I’m not hunting them. I just want to talk to them about um, their future.” How could she explain the situation to him in a way he would understand, in a way he would...believe her.

“Are you sure this is a good idea Sakura?” Tobirama didn’t like this idea of hers. It was dangerous. “Just because that one likes you, doesn’t mean all of them will. I will go with you.” He began but Sakura stopped him.

“No Tobirama. I need to do this alone.” She said firmly. “Besides, if you come with me, it might make it more difficult for me to speak to them. They won’t want to listen to me as it is. I think if I come alone, it shows trust.” She tried to explain.

“Or stupidity.” Hajime scratched the side of his jaw with his nails. 

“She won’t be alone. She’ll have me with her.” Takeo puffed himself up.

“...and me.” Shukaku began to grow in size in Sakura’s arms but she hugged him, and he shrunk back down to his smaller form again, rolling his head along the length of her forearm as he glared at Tobirama and Hajime equally annoyed at their presence.

Sakura smiled. “Exactly, I won’t be alone.”

“I've never met a woman who preferred the company to beasts over men.” Hajime’s eyes narrowed slightly, taking in the two beasts that either stood by her side or lay in her arms. “You’re a very unusual woman Sakura Hime.”

“You have no idea how right you are.” Tobirama mumbled under his breath.

“I’d like to.” Hajime inclined his head to Sakura with a smirk. “Perhaps when you get back from your tailed beast journey?”

“I have to tell Madara.” Sakura looked down at Shukaku who was still gazing up at her from her arms. “...and Hashirama.”

Tobirama nodded. “I doubt your news will be...well received. Particularly by my brother.” He told her. “...but maybe in light of everything that has happened lately, it would be good for you to get out of the village for a while.”

Hajime remained silent, taking in the younger Senju’s words...what had happened, he wondered.

“Maybe.” Sakura set Shukaku down on the ground at her feet. Tobirama didn’t know how right he was, she hadn’t had time to tell him what had happened with...Kakashi. She wasn’t ready to tell anyone, not yet at least. They wouldn’t understand, how could they...

“Either way, it’s late.” She wanted to end the conversation before it derailed into unpleasant territory. “Shukaku, will you come home with me tonight and we can figure out what we will do in the morning, together?”

“You’re, inviting me into your home?” Shukaku hated how hopeful his voice sounded. No one had ever invited him into their home before.

“Of course.” Sakura looked at the tanuki in surprise. “Where else would you go if not home with me?”

Shukaku jumped from the forest floor to her shoulder, tucked his head under her hair, his nose poking out the other side. “No where.” He said quietly.

“I’ll go home with you.” He closed his eyes, inhaling her scent into his memory and relaxed against her neck. “If you want me to.”

“I do.” Sakura smiled, then looked at Takeo. “Will you come too? Or will you be going back to the den tonight?”

“With you.” Takeo looked at Tobirama and then at Hajime whom he still...wasn’t completely sure about. “To make sure you get there safely.”

Hajime barked out a loud laugh. “No need to worry about this one Wolf, she’s a firecracker.” He shook his head in good humour, making Takeo relax a bit.

“Even fire needs to be protected.” Takeo stood to his full stature and looked Tobirama in the eye.

“Not from me Master Wolf.” Tobirama said easily.

“Your brother?” Takeo asked pointedly.

“Ah.” Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest, he could feel the Hatake clan head’s eye on him. “I think Sakura can protect herself just fine actually.”

Takeo scoffed. “Then why are you here?” He knew like the others that the man had run out here in haste, had felt both Sakura and Hajime’s chakra, probably the chakra of the one tail as well...no doubt he had come to protect her from the other males.

“I am her friend.” Tobirama said stiffly. They had talked earlier, he understood Sakura’s feelings just fine, but just because he understood didn’t mean he didn’t have feelings for her still, even if he respected ehr decision, he still...cared about her.

“Takeo.” Sakura said in a warning tone.

“She has enough friends. She doesn’t need any more friends.” Takeo growled, still pointing his nose at the Senju.

“Takeo.” Sakura reached out and smoothed the wolf’s shaggy mane. “Tobirama is my friend, a good friend, be polite.”

“He wants to be more than a friend.” Takeo looked at Hajime, then back at Sakura. “That one too and after what Kakashi did he…”

“Stop.” Sakura took a step toward Takeo, her hand out as if to strike him, her voice hard.

“Sakura?” Takeo’s eyes went wide with hurt. She had never raised her hand to him before, ever.

Tobirama’s eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed again as he watched Sakura struggle with her emotions.

“Don’t say that name.” Sakura withdrew her hand, her voice low. 

“Let’s go home.” She turned on her heel and walked off, Shukaku around her neck, his nose poking out from underneath her hair.

Takeo hung his head and followed her at a much slower pace. Resigned.

“Who is this Kakashi?” Hajime asked Tobirama once they were alone. He had heard her call out for the man of course but...

“She said not to say his name.” Tobirama jumped to the trees ending that unpleasant conversation before it had even begun.

He knows more than he is willing to say...Hajime rubbed his chin. Hajime tilted his head back, looking up into the sky, staring at the full moon...but does he know...what I know, he wondered.


	59. Chapter 59

Takeo and Shukaku watched Sakura pace back and forth in her sitting room. 

When they had arrived at her house she had laid bedding on the floor for both of them making them scoff. They had planned on sleeping with her in her large bed, there was plenty of room. It was late. Both of them assumed they would be going to bed immediately but she had begun to pace, and she had yet to stop.

Takeo withered his gums between his teeth as he watched her pace back and forth. She was holding her emotions in, he could tell. She was denying herself the release of sorrow, of regret and guilt...remorse and mourning. He understood that there were things that needed to be done, things she wished to do but...if she didn’t find a release for her pain, she would only continue to suffer.

“Sakura?” Takeo stepped up beside her, turned when she turned, and walked back to the other side of the room with her. “Sakura did Kakashi, did he…”

Sakura stopped moving, dropped her head into her hands, and wept. He had...Kakashi was gone.

“I was trying so hard not to think of him. There is so much more that I have to do. I don’t have time to, to think about him right now.” Of course, she couldn’t stop thinking of him, hadn’t stopped thinking of him since...

Takeo tucked his tail between his legs. He had been so selfish. Kakashi had died, faded away and all he had thought about was how the man had broken their agreement, not how it had affected Sakura. He was ashamed. He was a terrible friend.

“It’s okay to mourn him.” Takeo paused. “I’m sorry for not understanding earlier.” He wanted to comfort her but he didn’t know how.

Sakura’s shoulders shook hard. “Takeo, forgive me.” She reached out for him, pulling his body to hers and hugged him tightly. Shukaku watched with great interest, she really did care for the wolf. “I thought that…I shouldn’t have...” She felt terrible. She had raised her hand to her friend in, in anger and sadness...and he had already forgiven her. She didn’t deserve his forgiveness.

“It’s okay Sakura, I understand.” Takeo tried to console her, his paw lifting to hang over her shoulder.

She shook her head back and forth, then buried her face in his fur. She didn’t deserve his sympathy. 

“Why do I still feel so lost if he combined his soul with mine?” She didn’t understand. She thought the purpose of infusing his soul with hers was for them to be together for eternity. “It had felt so good when he had done it and now, I still feel, alone like he hadn’t sealed himself in me. Maybe something went wrong. Maybe I did something to, to prevent him form connecting fully with my soul?”

“Oh?” Shukaku laid his head on his paws after hopping up onto Sakura’s couch. “Kakashi was your lover?” He asked.

Sakura nodded, her face still buried in Takeo’s fur. “He was more than that he was…”

“He was her soulmate,” Takeo answered the tanuki. “Whom I found after splitting my soul.”

“Splitting your soul?” Shukaku’s tail swished back and forth. “Interesting.”

“I’ve heard of you, you know. The Wolves of the Wilds, blessed with longevity and selfless hearts.” Shukaku hummed to himself as he thought.

“Is it true then? That the Sage loved you above all of the other summons?” Shukaku asked Takeo.

“Yes,” Takeo said quietly. “It is true, that’s why...I was able to do what I did. Do you have a point raccoon?”

“Hum.” Shukaku looked at Sakura in understanding, then laughed.

Takeo narrowed his eyes at the raccoon. “What’s so funny?” Takeo cast a hasty glance toward Sakura to see if the raccoon was upsetting her further, she didn’t look any more upset, only bewildered at the racoon’s outburst.

“You idiot! You can’t be with her like that!” Shukaku burst out laughing, rolling around on the couch in near hysterics. “So, the man betrayed you huh? Just like a damn wolf, only loyal to one person.” Shukaku smirked at the wolf.

“What do you know of it?” Takeo growled.

“I’m a tailed beast, split apart from the other tailed beasts, from the ten tails, by the same Sage that blessed your pack,” Shukaku told the wolf as though that answered everything. “The ten tails was Kaguya, who had integrated her soul with the kami tree.”

“So?” Takeo growled, moving slightly to the side so that Sakura could sit up and wipe her eyes.

“So, you moron, I know things you don’t.” Shukaku taunted the wolf. “I know it is impossible to take over the soul of a human or combine with it for very long. His soul, this Kakashi? His soul didn’t return to him, did it?”

Sakura wiped the tears from her eyes and shook her head. “No, it’s in me. Takeo’s soul, the half he combined with Kakashi’s has been returned to him.”

Shukaku ducked his head. He hated to be the one to tell her but...she had been honest with him so far so…” It returned to his husk. His soul is not in you.” He said quietly, waiting to see what she would do. “His predecessor or wherever it had come from before it was his.”

“I’m sorry.” The tanuki said with unprecedented empathy. He rather liked the woman. She was, growing on him, he could see how they had become friends, in the future.

“...but, he used a seal, he sealed his soul in me, with mine permanently.” Sakura protested, placing her hand over her heart where Kakashi’s seal was. She could still feel the slight thrum of energy.

Shukaku shook his head. “I heard the mention of soulmates. If you were soul mates, his soul was already a part of you, to begin with, it can’t be a greater part of you than it already is.” He explained. “It’s his love, that resides in you now.”

“...but.” Sakura frowned. “Then he...died for nothing?”

“No.” Shukaku rose from the couch and looked her in the eye. “Not for nothing. He simply returned to the husk that he left. Like all of the tailed beasts are part of each other. We’re all connected because we were once all part of the ten tails. You carry part of him with you, like the nine tails chakra. When you were forced back in time, you took part of his soul with you, he would have died anyway Sakura, at least, this way, you got to see him again and he got to see you.” Shukaku laid back down.

“Oh.” Sakura sat on the end of her bed. She didn’t know what to say. They were shinobi. Most shinobi never got to say goodbye to the ones they loved, never knowing if they would...come home.

Sakura looked back up at the tanuki. “You said, like the nine tails chakra, you ...how do you know that I.” She stuttered, she should have known...so that’s why he had trusted her so willingly.

“I could feel it from the beginning, when you came to my temple. I could feel that lothesome ass’s chakra in you.” Shukaku lifted his paw and tapped her chest, over Naruto’s seal. “Right here.” He looked up into her eyes.

“You didn’t think I would just come to hear more of what you had to say and follow you blindly on a whim did you?” He chuckled.

“No but...I thought that perhaps you remembered how close we had been, once.” Sakura shrugged. “You’re here, that’s all that matters...but Kakashi…”

“So.” She said slowly, thinking over Shukaku’s words. “Kakashi’s seal was...pointless?”

“Peace of mind, not pointless,” Shukaku said gently. She was a kind soul and he could tell she had already been through a lot.

“Oh,” Sakura said again. “I think I understand.” He would have died anyway…

“So our connection is…” Sakura looked at Shukaku, then Takeo.

“Already eternal.” Shukaku nodded, pleased she had grasped the concept so quickly. “It wasn’t really the end.”

“The husk...is...Ashitoke?” Sakura asked herself, understanding flooding her heart...with a little relief.

“Ashitoke?” Shukaku asked while Takeo moaned.

“That was who Kakashi was reincarnated from.” She explained to Shukaku.

“Then his soul returned to Ashitoke,” Shukaku confirmed her hypothesis.

“Unless he was reincarnated already like Asura and Indra were.” Takeo looked at Sakura… She looked back at him, she didn’t understand.

“Hajime.” He muttered under his breath.

“What?” Sakura’s head whipped around to face her friend. “Hajime is...was the one before Kakashi to possess Ashitoke’s soul?”

“Can’t you tell?” Takeo wanted to cry. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

“No.” Sakura frowned. “He is too different, he acts so…” Arrogant, aloof, cynical and...irritatingly smug...but, the real Kakashi, her Kakashi had been all of those things...except arrogant, with her.

“Arrogant.” She said after a few moments, voicing her thoughts out loud. “Ashitoke and Kakashi were never arrogant. There are a few similarities but…” This didn’t make sense. Hajime was too different.

Takeo grimaced. “You aren’t Shizuka, or so you keep telling me. Hajime is not Kakashi or Ashitoke. Why would you hold him to the same assumption you yourself riot against?”

“...but we’re soulmates, shouldn’t we, get along better?” She protested. 

Wasn’t that how soul mates worked, you got along instantly, loved one another instantly, fell head over heels for one another, happily ever after? That’s how it had been with Ashitoke, and...well, it hadn’t been quite like that with Kakashi, but there had been an age difference and...

“Not all soul mates get along. Their souls are connected, but it doesn’t mean they always like each other.” Shukaku rolled over on the couch, his paws in the air. He was losing interest in this conversation.

“Can we go to bed now?” He was tired. He had traveled a long way to get to her, stopping minimally to mark trees and sniff at strange and beautiful flowers.

“Of course,” Sakura said absently. 

This wasn’t what she had been expecting. It seemed so unfair. Ashitoke had been wonderful and Kakashi had been...perfect for her. However, the more she thought about it, the more Shukaku’s and Takeo’s words made sense. She had never loved Ashitoke, the way she had loved...Kakashi, and Hajime was...well, she still wasn’t sure about that man, there was something off, something cold about him that made her...wary.

Sakura closed her eyes and sighed once more into Takeo’s fur. Holding him was nice. Having Shukaku and him here with her so that she wasn’t alone was reassuring but...like Shukaku had told Takeo...they couldn’t love her like she needed to be loved, they couldn’t be with her like...Kakashi or like...Madara could.

Shukaku hopped off the couch and followed her and Takeo into the bedroom. He had never been in anyone’s home before, had never seen such luxury as the luxury before his eyes. He could get used to this. He followed Takeo’s lead and jumped up onto the bed, curled up into a small ball, and watched Sakura move about the room.

He watched as she pulled her shirt off over her head, then untied her pants letting them drop to the floor, pulled on a sleeping wrap, and pull the blanket of her bed down, crawling inside. It was late, or early...depending. Morning was coming soon…

Sakura closed her eyes, one hand on Takeo’s head, the other on Shukaku’s back. This was...nice.

_“Sakura.” Madara ran his finger down the side of her face then cupped her cheek as he leaned in pressing his mouth over hers. “Where have you been, I missed you last night my dear.”_

_They were in their cave, she was dreaming again. Had he been waiting for her?_

_“Madara.” Sakura looked up into Madara’s dark beautiful eyes, mumbling his name against his lips, this...is what she needed. She hadn’t realized how much she had been relying on him, how much she had grown used to having him there, how close they had become until she had lost..._

_“I can’t give you what you want.” Sakura pushed her small hands against his chest. “Not yet, maybe not ever. Kakashi he...he’s gone and I…tonight he...”_

_Madara could feel the tension in her voice...the tightness in her grasp, her finger ran through his hair as he laid her down on the ground in their cave. “Gone?” He paused. When was he...here? He recalled the Uzumaki seal that they had found in her hand when she had collapsed in her garden. Had the man come to her using that seal? She said he was gone, did he...die?_

_Sakura nodded, pulling his mouth back to hers. “Gone. I don’t want to be alone right now. I don’t want to talk about Kakashi right now, I want...you to make me forget...I need to...I need to feel, something...” Her tongue swiped back and forth across his lips._

_“Let me...can I...I’m so sorry.” She began to push against his chest, pulling away from him._

_No, he pulled her back to him, he didn’t want her to pull away from him. She needed him and he wanted to be there for her. If that man was truly gone and she was trying to forget, or to heal then he wanted to help her heal, to...move on._

_“Sakura. I understand. Use me.” He knew she was still in love with that man, he had told her he hadn’t expected anything from her that she couldn’t give him. “Let me dull your pain, your...loss. Let me help you heal.”_

_“...but our past. I don’t want to hurt you, you’ve been so understanding and…I know how you feel about me Madara, I can see it in your eyes.” She was already untying his shirt and pushing it back from his shoulders. He shivered as her nails scraped against the sensitive parts of his skin. She could rip him apart with those nails...if she so desired._

_“You still love him, I know but...you did love me once too...this is not a sin, I don’t think if...we both understand it’s just...physical?” He was trying for her._

_“Are you, okay with that Madara?” She knew he knew, that he understood things were different in her time but he wasn’t from her time and he had certain views and expectations that...she didn’t wish to adhere to, not yet, not so soon after Kakashi…she was just fooling herself, she knew._

_...but she also knew, she couldn’t go to Tobirama, or Izuna for the kind of comfort she was looking for, nor Hashirama. Madara was...different. Madara, understood her._

_“As long as you are honest with me, I am okay with that, yes.” He pulled her into a silencing kiss, ending the pointless conversation. “Besides, this isn’t real, we can dream together, for now.”_

_“...and if...I want more, if I need you outside of...our dreams?” She was being bold, she knew it but she wanted to feel, to touch, and to be…alive._

_Madara paused, was she asking if he would... “Are you alone, right now in your home, or …” He left the question open-ended purposefully._

_“Takeo is with me and…” She gasped, his fingers twitched as he ran his palms up and down the inside of her thighs, slowly teasing her._

_“Another night then.” He murmured into her hair. She was wet, it wasn’t real but, it would be...soon. “For now, let me touch you like this.” He pressed his fingers past her lips, moved them slowly up into her core as she bucked out against him._

_“Madara.” His calloused fingers and palms against her sensitive skin were driving her mad, it had been so long since they had, since she had..._

_Madara closed his eyes, it was the same, that same feeling he had when he touched her as Indra, the want, the desire to be with her, to feel her move against his need for her. He wouldn’t push her, not this time, he would keep letting her come to him use him, this time._

_“Sakura.” He twisted his fingers, pulling up against her inner walls ever so slightly, tugging at her control._

_“Please.” She pulled at his hair, wrapping it around her fingers in demand. “Please…” She was begging him…her voice choked._

_“Are you sure…” His mouth kissed the dip between her breasts, he could feel the heat rising from her body, the smoothness of her skin against his cheeks as he opened his mouth to nip her gently. Her small body shuddered against him. Not even the mist from the waterfall behind them could quelch this fire building between them._

_“Yes, please Madara.” Sakura tilted her head to the side, he was watching her, with those damned Uchiha eyes…_

_His large calloused hand reached down and grasped her thigh, pulled it up over his shoulder, bending her body to fit his needs. “Look at me.” He whispered softly, forcing her to arch her back, her chest rising against his._

_“Look at me when I enter you, know that it is me inside of you.” He watched her eyes flutter open and shut, then open again as he slowly pressed into her. His pulse jumped in his veins when felt himself push through to her core and beyond._

_Sakura closed her eyes briefly, then he began to move, slowly at first, testing her resistance. “Madara…” She growled impatiently. She wanted him to move to..._

_His hipps drew back and snapped into her hard, forcing the air in her lungs out with a powerful whoosh as she gasped and sputtered, frantically trying to refill her deflated lungs._

_“Yes.” This is what she had wanted from him, what she had needed. Sakura tossed her head to the side, his nails digging into his skin along the sides and up his back. “Ah.”_

_“Sakura...fuck...love, you feel, divine.” He couldn’t wait to be inside her for real, to really feel the heat of her core wrapped around his… lifting his torso, he propped himself up on his forearms giving her leg over his shoulder room to move._

_She looked so beautiful underneath him, just like he remembered her to be when he was...he shook his head, no, they weren’t the same people that they used to be. He leaned forward again, bending her leg, pressing it up against her side, her knee in her ear deeper and deeper he pushed into her._

_Sakura held her breath, he was, it was… “so deep...so close…” ...so familiar..._

_It had been so long since she had felt this twisten tension, it wasn’t real but it felt so...Madara twisted and jerked his hips into her hard. Molten lust whirled in her belly, release…_

_“Indra…” Her breath escaped her, her mind fluttered, her thoughts mixed with emotion, her eyes snapped open._

_“Indra.” She panted out his name without thought, without recognition to what she was saying. She took his face in between her hands and kissed him hard, crushing her lips painfully against his._

_Madara growled deep in his throat...he had always loved that, when she would become emboldened and take him into her hands roughly._

_“Shizuka, my love...my life. Welcome home.” Madara came inside of her, deep, throbbing bursts of long unrequited release spilled out from his soul into her twitching jerking body. She had come back to him, she wanted him again, she..._

_“I love you.” He gasped into her hair as he collapsed next to her, turning to her and pulling her up and over his naked body. “I never stopped loving you.”_

_She couldn’t breathe, what was this feeling she felt so disjointed so...melted and destroyed. “I…”_

_She couldn’t say it, this hadn’t been what she had wanted, she hadn’t meant to… She wept. What the hell was she doing...what had she done. She shook._

_“I know you don’t love me like I love you but I promised you honesty, didn’t I?” He sat up, holding her against his chest sitting her up with him and brushed her hair back from her eyes. He didn’t want her to regret what they had done. It had been beautiful and wonderful and...meaningful._

_“You came to me for comfort. I’m happy to give it to you, but you need to know, it means so much more to me than it does to you...and that’s okay. I knew that...when I kissed you the first time.” He told her quietly, stroking her hair down her back. “Both this time and the very first time we made love.”_

_Sakura nodded, she understood what he was saying. He, like before, hadn’t expected her to return his love or his affection, that he was here for her if and when she needed him...that he would take nothing from her but give her...everything he had...because he wanted to, because he loved her._

_...knowing, and understanding how he felt, didn’t alleviate her guilt._

_“I’m so selfish.” She had thought only of herself when she had come to him and now…_

_“You, of all of us, deserve to be selfish Sakura.” Madara lifted her up over his lap, pulling her legs on either side of his waist. “We have hurt you, used you, tormented you.”_

_“I know, it’s in the past but, it doesn’t change that it still happened. We were selfish and we took from you, things that can never be returned, things that can never be given back. This is just your turn to take, from us.” He tilted her head up by the chin and kissed her, putting all of his love, all of his regret, into one simple action, one gesture of faith._


	60. Fleeing Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready?

Tobirama folded his hands one over the other, his eyes darting back and forth between Madara and Hashirama. Did they know yet, had she told them yet... Tobirama shifted in his seat.

Hajime, who was sitting across the table in the central tower from him, snorted in amusement. “Something wrong Tobirama San?” The annoyingly lazy voice irritated Tobirama more than it normally would have after their little run in last night.

“Not at all Hatake San.” Tobirama inclined his head politely to the Hatake clan head, ignoring the infuriatingly annoying smirk on the man’s face. 

“Hum, I wonder where Sakura Hime is this morning, will she not be joining us?” Hajime turned his head toward Madara to supply the answer.

“She will be arriving shortly I’m sure.” Madara turned from his conversation with Mito and Hashirama to answer the Hatake. “No doubt Izuna is escorting her here now.”

“I wouldn’t think a woman like that would require an...escort.” Hajime straightened his collar absently, his eyes moving casually around the room.

Hashirama narrowed his eyes at the Hatake, opened his mouth to retort, when the door to the tower room slid open revealing both Izuna and Sakura. “Good morning Sakura, Izuna”

“Hashirama.” Sakura smiled politely. Izuna inclined his head.

“Mito.” Sakura smiled at the redhead beside Hashirama. “I apologize for my hasty departure yesterday afternoon.”

“Not at all Lady Sakura. I hope you are feeling better now that you’ve rested?” Mito’s sharp eyes passed over the woman quickly from head to foot. She didn’t look like she had gotten much rest.

“Yes, thank you.” Sakura sat down next to Madara, Izuna falling into his seat beside her, across from Hajime and Tobirama.

“Good morning.” Sakura nodded to Hajime and Tobirama, then Ashina who sat beside Hajime.

“Sakura.” Tobirama saw the subtle lines of strain around her mouth. It was still there, the change in her chakra. He would ask her, after their meeting.

Ashina nodded to the woman while Hajime shifted lazily in his seat, his eyes passing over the small bulge of her side pouch. When he caught her eye with a smirk, she looked away...so, she had brought him with her...interesting, daring woman. He laughed out loud. Sakura flushed.

He could smell Shukaku, of course, he could...Kakashi would have been able to smell the tanuki too. She should have known better, she would need to be more careful. She shouldn’t have brought the tanuki with her but he had cried and whined refusing to let go of her leg so…

“Sakura, is everything alright?” Hashirama asked her, ignoring Mito who was speaking beside him. “You look flushed and tired. Are you sure you got enough rest?”

“I’m fine Hashirama, don’t worry.” Sakura smiled. “I just need a bit more sleep maybe.”

Hashirama opened his mouth to tell her she didn’t need to be here that she could go rest now but Ashina spoke before him. “We would like to join your village under the contract rules that you agreed upon.”

Hashirama snapped his head to Ashina. “You never said you wished to join the village, only proposed a marriage agreement between myself and Mito.” He corrected the man.

“We can amend it to include the entire Uzumaki Clan.” Ashina watched Hashirama, he could tell he wasn’t pleased. “Are you not looking for shinobi clans to join you here in Konoha?”

Hashirama clenched his fist inside his shirt, this old man…”Of course, of course!” Hshirama smiled widely, waving his hands in the air in excitement, fake excitement.

Sakura watched him, why had she never noticed this side of him before? He had never seemed more insincere to her than he did at this moment. “How wonderful.” Sakura smiled at Mito. “It will be nice to have your clan here with you I imagine.”

Hashirama’s face fell almost comically. Then, seemingly, he recalled himself. “The stipulation about the second born?” He asked Ashina.

“Erased.” Ashina nodded to his daughter and his future son in law.

Hashirama nodded. Erased but not forgotten. He had done his own research, sent out his own spies. He knew exactly why Ashina wanted to move the Uzumaki Clan from the Land of Eddies to Konoha. It was...unacceptable. The old man would flee danger only to bring it to his door instead of theirs...selfish.

Sakura swallowed. She could feel Hashirama’s intent. She looked to Tobirama and saw the hard line along his jaw. He had felt it too. Sakura looked back to Hashirama to find his eyes on her, she swallowed and smiled tentatively. Immediately the darkness washed from his emotional compass and she relaxed.

“The Hatake Clan would also like to join Konoha.” Hajime smiled a lazy smile at Hashirama who stiffened only slightly. “Unless you’ve changed your mind?”

“Not at all!” Hashirama laughed boisterously. “You’re welcome, both of you, right Madara?” Hashirama turned to his friend, his face contorted into a wide smile.

Sakura frowned. Had he always been like this...she was disturbed. Shukaku shifted his weight in her pouch. She placed her hand against the side, slipped her finger under the flap and pet his head in reassurance. 

The weight of his stare was heavy, he wasn’t trying to hide it...Sakura looked up into the stormy slate grey eyes of Hajime Hatake.

“I look forward to spending more time with you Sakura Hime. We will leave at once. Tobirama San was kind enough to show me the land that would be offered to us yesterday, we accept, if you accept our terms?” Hajime’s eyes never left Sakura’s. She met him stare for stare. He smirked at her.

“We do.” Hashirama looked at Madara, who nodded, his eyes on Hajime.

“What are your terms?” Sakura asked. Curious.

“Land allotments large enough for both my clan and our ninkin.” Hajime smiled a real smile at her.

“Oh.” Sakura returned his smile. “They will be pleased.”

“Yes.” Hajime stood without warning and bowed to first Hashirama then Madara...then Sakura. “I believe they will be, for generations to come.” He winked at her. She blinked.

“I should go, there is much to be done in preparation.” Hajime disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“What an...unusual man.” Mito coughed delicately into her cloth napkin that she pulled from her sleeve, dabbing at her mouth careful not to upset her perfect makeup.

“You mean he’s a complete asshole.” Sakura muttered under her breath, making the elder Uzumaki laugh lightly, stifling it in his palm as he looked out the window.

Mito smiled, she was actually starting to like the odd woman. “That too.” Mito laughed, then Sakura.

“Well, if there’s nothing else? Sakura, would you care to join me for lunch?” Izuna stood up, reaching down his hand to her.

“Actually, I would like to speak with Hashirama, if that’s okay?” Sakura looked around the room briefly, her eyes falling on Mito.

Mito smiled, pleased that the woman was offering her, her respect. “As you wish.” Mito stood, bowed and walked quietly out of the room, followed by Izuna, Madara, and a hesitant Tobirama.

“I’ll find you after?” Sakura laid her hand on Tobirama’s arm when he paused at the door.

“I’ll be waiting.” He nodded, gave his brother one last look, and left them alone.

Sakura watched the hem of Tobirama’s pants as he walked out the door, wondering how she should begin. She didn’t want this to end poorly, but she had a few heated things to say to Asura that she hadn't, until now, realized she needed to say to him. They needed closure, before either of them could move on and they needed to move on...for both of their sakes.

Sakura smiled. Tobirama may have left, but she could feel his chakra signature, barely, at the base of the tower...and Madara’s as well. Her men...her friends. She took strength from their concern, from their support. 

She still loved him, she had realized after she had fallen asleep in Madara’s arms last night, she still loved Asura but...things had changed, irreversible things had changed between them. Still, it was hard for her to look at him, to really look at him and not...recall those feelings, to not...feel. He had been the first man she had ever loved. Slowly, Sakura turned around to face him, to face her past.

Hashirama waited patiently for Sakura to speak. He could see the tension in her shoulders, the pulse in her neck jump and throb, the slight indecision in her eyes. “Sakura, you had something you wished to, speak to me about?”

If she wouldn’t speak, he would.

Her eyes started at the hem up his pants and slowly traveled upward to the top of his head, then down again to meet his eyes.

“Asura.” Her voice was soft, measured and controlled. “I remember.”

Hashirama swallowed hard, painfully. He hadn’t been expecting...this. It had been some time since they had been at her fire outside of the run down cabin in the woods...when he had brought her a rabbit to mate with the one she had trapped. Of course he had known all along who she was, who he was...what they were to one another but...he had hoped, she wouldn’t remember that he could have a second chance but others...Indra, his own brother and Hatake’s seemed to be getting in the way, like always.

“What do you remember, Shizu ka.” He choked, his hands rose from his sides and he reached out for her. Maybe if she...let him explain himself, they could...

She ran and fell into his arms. “Everything.” She sobbed into the fabric of his shirt clinging to his chest. 

“Everything!” She gripped the front of his shirt and pulled on it, tearing it at the seams. The comfort of his embrace only reminded her of her loss, only reminded her of his betrayal, she had hoped that they could rise above, this was another life but...

“Why Asura! Why would you...how could you do that to me!” Tears streamed down her face falling from her chin. “You swore you loved me then you, then you...raped me, drugged me and stole me from Indra!”

Hashirama folded his arms around her, hunching over her, burying her in his embrace. 

“Forgive me please, please Shizuka. I’m not the man I once was! I’m not that person anymore, I’ve learned from that, I’m different!” He tried to hold her, subdue her, show her she could trust him again like she had once, when they had been in love, when she had been just as in love with him as he was with her now...would always be.

“Have you?” She demanded, pressing chakra infused palms against his chest pushing him forcefully away and pulling a small, glass vial from her pocket. Lies, he was lying again.

“Have you!” She threw the vial at him. He caught it, his face blank. He didn’t need to look down into his palm to know what he held. She had always been a clever one, his Shizuka.

“Madara...Indra, said you forgave me, that you wouldn’t hold my past against me, that...we weren’t the same people we once were.” He protested. “Indra said…”

Sakura shook her head, cutting him off. “Madara and I are not the same people and you would do well to remember that but you…” She nodded to the blue flower in the glass vial resting in his palm. “You haven’t changed have you, you’re still up to your old tricks aren’t you? You told me you loved me that you would marry me then you cast me aside! You took advantage of me! I was so naive!”

Her chakra flashed and snapped around her. She leapt back, up against the wall and away from him. 

“Then, when it was convenient for you...you came back, demanded to be with me!” The walls to the office cracked and splintered from the sheer magnitude of her chakra force. “I remember that conversation how you tried to, to...even then you were so manipulative, so controlling trying to convince me that I was wrong when it was you, you the whole time!”

“I was happy with Indra, I was in love with Indra!” Sakura slammed her fist against the wall behind her. Wood exploded and splintered from the impact, the frame of the whole panel cracking and falling behind her to the floor. “You stole me away without my consent then you raped me! Married me and, and...tore my soul apart!” She screamed.

“Tore your soul apart?” He didn’t understand. Yes, she was correct, he had done all those things that she had said but…”How did I tear your soul apart Shizuka?”

“Betrayal.” She sobbed. “On such a soul rendering level, you broke me. My will, broke in two because, because...my will...my heart. I gave you everything and you...”

Sakura collapsed to the ground. “I trusted you, loved you like...I’ve never loved anyone before, like I haven’t been able to love anyone again who came after you... and you...broke my heart.” Her arms were wrapped around herself, her face wet with her tears. “I don’t think I’ve fully recovered, even now from...the heartache.”

“Shizuka.” Hashirama dropped down to his knees and crawled humbly across the floor to her. She still loved him, he could see it in her eyes, she still wanted him, cared for him... “I’m…”

Sakura looked at him, looked into his soft brown eyes…no, she had to be strong...her eyes flashed a dark green as hate filled her soul.

”You’re sorry?” Her face contorted in rage. Something broke inside of her, he could feel the power radiating from her skin, from her being...

“You’re sorry Asura? Do you think that is enough? Do you think that it’s all better now? You sent me spiraling through time, you bastard, then have the fucking gall to blame me for disapearing!” Sakura leapt to her feet, kunai in hand and swiped at his eyes.

So fast, she was so fast…”Shizuka, let me explain. War was coming like the world had never seen, our mother she…” He ducked, rolled, jumped, kicked off the back wall and grabbed her around the waist, slamming her bodily into the floor, the wood beneath her cracked and shook. 

“I was trying to protect you!” He roared. Why wouldn’t she listen, she never used to be this unreasonable.

“Because I love you damn it, more than I have ever or will ever love anyone else! It’s you, it’s always only been you!” Why didn’t she understand that? Why couldn’t she see what was in his heart. Everything he had done, ever done had always and only ever been for her.

“Not this time Asura. Ashitoke is dead. Indra is still alive and my Kakashi, my Ashitoke from my time...will never leave me now. I will always have him here.” She pressed a balled fist to her chest over her heart. “There is no more room for you in my heart Asura.”

“Shizuka…” Hashirama pushed the table that separated them out of his way. He couldn’t stand the thought of her with another man, he had been patient, he had been understanding, he had tried to do this the right way but she needed to see, she needed to understand and if she couldn’t with words, then he would force her to, with his hands. It broke apart against the wall, Hashirama had released his chakra…

”Come here.” He demanded, his voice low and threatening.

“No.” Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. If it was a fight he wanted...she was ready. “There were things that needed to be said between us for...centuries. I’ve said them.”

“...and what, you think you can say those things and then it’s over?” He laughed, a dark foreboding laugh walking toward her. Did she think it would be that easy to rid herself of him...he was insulted. “No my girl, you don’t get to do that.”

He stood before her, making her tilt her head back to look him in the eye. “You belong to me. You’re my wife, not Indra’s, not that man from your other time...mine!” Hashirama grabbed her by the hair, dragged her across the room and slammed her flat onto his desk, on her back, making her bite her tongue. Blood flooded her mouth.

Sakura started laughing, an insane uncontrolled laughter, bubbling up through the blood dripping from her lips and out of the corners of her mouth. 

“Do you think I’m alone? Do you think I would confront you like this on my own? You always underestimated me Asura.” Blood sprayed from her mouth with each word hitting him in the face as he bent over her, pressing his palms to her chest, keeping her in place.

Tobirama and Madara’s heads snapped up as dark chakra exploded from the office above. Madara raced up the stairs but was thrown back from the invisible force of Hashirama’s chakra. This, wasn’t going to end well. He never should have left her in the room alone with him. Tobirama looked up into the window of the tower, he could feel Izuna, Hajime and Sarutobi making their way to the tower, they had felt it too.

Sand exploded from her pouch, whipping up into the air slamming Hashirama in the chest throwing him against the opposite wall.

“Sakura, are you okay? You held off for too long.” Shukaku sneered at the blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.

“The one tail? You have the one tail, but how?” Hashirama demanded, making the hand signs for his woodstyle jutsu and slamming them to the ground. “Don’t tell me, you’re collecting them!” He had seen the future, he had dreamed of the war, her war...impossible, how could she possibly think she was strong enough to capture the tailed beasts, she was going to get herself killed. He had to stop her.

Sakura whipped her chakra blades from her belt, infused them with chakra, thrust both blades out in front of her face, cutting through the vast wooden beam, splitting it in two as it peeled away falling on either side of her. She fell to her knees, panting, bit her thumb and called forth the entire pack, releasing one of her three reserves.

“Impossible.” Hashirama choked, his eyes wide. “When did you get so much chakra!” He roared, furious that she was defying him...again. Furious that she was...winning…

“Sakura.” Takeo stood before her in all his splendor, the walls of the tower cracking and falling around them as more and more wolves filled the room. “We’ve come to fight by your side.”

Shukaku leapt to Sakura’s shoulder, spitting sand bullets from his mouth, at Hashirama who was running and dodging snapping jaws, sand bullets, kicking off walls, jumping gracefully from end to end and charges of flying fur while he wove hand sign after hand sign.

Trees exploded from the floors around them crushing the last remaining walls to the Hokage Tower. Sand whirled and spun knocking down trees, creaking through Hashirama’s barriers. Weaving in and out of wolves, crashing through the rubble.

Sakura felt the air move behind her, turned into the chest of Tobirama Senju and nearly cried. Madara, Izuna, Hajime, Mito and Ashina were behind him. Sasuke Sarutobi was running to them from a distance...everyone had come, to…

”Sakura, you’re not alone, why didn’t you tell us you were going to confront him, at least me...you could have…” Tobirama pushed her to her knees, catching the wooden beam through the chest, blood poured out from the deathblow, splashed across her face...Tobirama dropped to the ground, dead.

“Tobi?” Sakura’s voice was small. “Tobirama?” She crawled to his side, her hands infused with her healing chakra, her second seal released as she pressed her hands to the gaping hole in his chest.

Hashiram roared enraged. “Tobirama!” He screamed his younger brother’s name, the only brother he had left. “Tobirama!”

Madara moved before anyone else, followed closely by Sasuke Sarutobi and Izuna. With two quick jabs to the side of Hashirama’s ribs Madara leapt back, then forward again, pulling his gun bai from his weapons scroll meeting Hashirama’s blade head on.

Izuna wove the hand signs, focused his chakra and let out a great fireball from his mouth as Sasuke Sarutobi sped right, left, wove his hands into the stone confinement jutsu and sent Hashirama skidding backward from the combined force.

“You think you can defeat me?” Hashirama focused his chakra, lines formed under his eyes, running across his cheeks and....

Shukaku swiped both of his paws across the great expanse that separated the kami of shinobi from the group. “Now!” The tanuki roared.

Wolves of all shapes and sizes raced over the tanuki’s head and shot down, claws out, teeth bared at the Senju.

Madara and Izuna took in a deep breath, made the identical hand signs in tandem and let out a fireball the likes of which the shinobi world had never seen before, scorching the earth beyond recognition.

When the smoke cleared...Hashirama Senju was gone.

Hajime bowed down over Tobirama’s head, infusing his chakra into the Senju’s body as Sakura had directed.

“Steady, keep your chakra steady, or...or…” Sakura was trying to keep her tears at bay. She didn’t have time to cry, she had to, she had to…”Tobirama…”

“Don’t worry about me Hime, you just focus on the man before you.” Hajime watched Sakura move one hand over Tobirama’s chest, the skin, organs and other soft tissues reforming right before his eyes, her other hand...pumping the man’s heart in his chest cavity, keeping his blood flowing at a steady beat.

She was incredible, truly incredible and...innocent just as he had thought. What the hell had she been thinking, taking on the kami of shinobi on her own. Brave woman, brave...innocent woman. Hajime swallowed...maybe he had been wrong about her...she wasn’t at all what he had thought she would be.

“Sakura.” Mito was kneeling beside Sakura, Tobirama’s blood soaking into the fine silk of her kimono. “What can i do?”

“See to the others.” Sakura hissed out of the side of her mouth. “...and pray that Hashirama doesn’t come back to finish the job.”

Ashina placed what he hoped was a reassuring hand on the pinkett’s shoulder, took his daughter by the arm and led her to where the others were collapsing and bleeding. “Let her do what we can not. Let’s tend to those we can.”

Mito nodded at Madara as he passed them on his way to Sakura, but he didn’t see. His eyes were red and spinning, the tomes...had changed…

Madara knelt down beside Sakura. “Is he going to live?” He asked her quietly.

“I don’t know.” She sobbed. This was all her fault, if Tobirama died, it was her fault. They had felt her chakra explode, they had come running to help her...it would be her fault if he died, it would be her fault…

“Sakura.” Madara began again, his eyes on the knitting tissue.

“Stop.” Sakura rubbed her face against the upper sleeve over her shoulder, keeping her hands steadily on Tobirama’s chest. 

“I don’t want to hear it. Don’t tell me that if he dies it isn’t my fault. IT IS! IT IS MY FAULT!” She sobbed, releasing her third seal, she needed more chakra, it wasn’t enough...she wasn’t enough.

“Oh kami please! Help me, please!” She begged any kami that would listen, anyone that could help her. “I can’t lose anyone else, damn it! Please!” She begged anyone…

Sakura pulled her right hand from Tobirama’s chest, pressed both of her chakra infused hands to his now sealed chest and focused all of her remaining chakra into his barely beating heart. She hadn’t realized her eyes were closed until she felt something small and hard against her lips.

“Eat it.” Madara pressed one of her chakra pills to her lips, she opened her mouth and he pressed it over her tongue with a finger. She chewed. She nodded to him, grateful.

“Almost done, for now, the rest will be up to him.” She leaned over Tobirama, she could feel her chakra draining from her almost as quickly as the pill replenished it...too close, she had been too close to running out of chakra. Foolish, she was so very foolish.

“I thought that...I was so selfish Madara.” She turned her head to him. “I just wanted to, I felt that I deserved to say what I had been keeping locked away, that…”

“Shhh.” Madara wrapped an arm around her shoulders and laid her head on his chest. “Heal Tobirama, and then rest. We’ve done all we can do.”

Sarutobi dropped down beside Madara on his other side and nodded. “Everyone is well Hime. Everyone is whole.” He told Sakura who nodded her thanks.

“Hashirama?” She asked. She didn’t see Sarutobi shake his head, but she felt Madara stiffen beside her. “So, he fled and left his brother here with me, to die.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My routine is down. I will be updating on the weekends for this fic now. From here on out, I really wish to take my time, to make sure I do not rush this. I think, this is my favorite fic that I have written and wish to do it justice. I will continue to update my others as they come to me.
> 
> Tell me...how did this chapter strike you?


	61. Seals, Wolves and Hatakes

Tobirama…

What had he done…

Hashirama raced through the forest, his feet touching down briefly every twenty yards or so, why was he running…

...only the guilty flee when no one pursues.

Was he guilty, was he wrong…

Tobirama...the sight of his brother, his only remaining brother consumed him, twisted and tormented him...Tobirama.

Shizuka would save him, wouldn’t she? She would save him...she wouldn’t let Tobirama die would she...even if she hated him, refused to acknowledge his undying love for her, she would save his brother...wouldn’t she…

...all he ever did was love her and she...betrayed him.

She would need to be punished…

...Madara had betrayed him.

He would need to be punished.

...she was collecting tailed beasts was she?

Not if he got to them first.

Tobirama opened his eyes. He couldn’t see. Everything was dark but he could feel her. Sakura, her name was on his lips but he couldn’t speak. His mouth wouldn’t move. Panic began to fill him, why couldn’t he move.

“Tobi, please. Calm your chakra.” Sakura laid a hand over the Uzumaki seal that covered his eyes. “Trust me.”

Trust her. He did trust her. Love her. He loved her. Tobirama relaxed under the warmth of her hand. He was alive. 

Hashirama…

His brother. 

Hashirama…

The betrayal. So much betrayal. All of them.

Were to blame.

Sakura...he could feel it, her chakra...oh, he understood. Kakashi, that man...he could see now as he had never been able to see before. Darkness, light...her soul had broken and was now...new.

Freedom.

She was finally free.

He could feel it. He could feel it in his heart, she was...someone new again, reborn, over and over. Did the walls, the rules of the universe, of time and space not apply to her then.

He understood now. 

Tennyo...she really was a Tennyo.

Madara would be pleased, he thought to himself. Hadn’t Hashirama told him before, before...that Madara had thought the woman was a Tennyo? 

Yes.

Tennyo.

Tobirama sighed. Of course, he would fall in love with someone so unattainable. His brother had always told him his standards were too high, too impossible for anyone to satisfy.

He must be dreaming, his thoughts were never this...confusing.

Hashirama, where was he now, what was he doing and...when would he strike again. This wasn’t over, he knew...this was only the beginning.

He could smell flowers, sakura flowers...his heart, felt like spring. He closed his eyes. He had always preferred winter but perhaps...spring wasn’t so bad.

Sakura closed her eyes. He would live. Tobirama would live.

Mito watched silently as Sakura breathed a breath of relief. What a remarkable woman. She cared. Truly cared for these men, for all of them, even Hashirama. Mito looked down at her hands, neatly folded in her lap, the picture of a perfect woman of the time. Docile, pretty, polite, silent.

Mito lifted her head. Her charm and cunning had gotten her far. Her manipulation, ambition, and heartlessness had served her well but...looking at Sakura, this strong, beautiful woman she felt...sullied, dirty and disgusting in her skin.

Who was she, compared to someone like her.

“What will you do now?” Mito asked the woman she had come to admire above all others.

“What I must.” Sakura continued to look down at Tobirama, her hands wrapped snugly with his. “I must finish what I started.”

“Alone?” Mito inquired, not sure what it was she had started, did she intend to...hunt down Hashirama alone?

“No.” Sakura squeezed Tobirama’s hands, then rose to her feet. The others were coming...they had left to secure the perimeter. Her wolves were on patrol through the forest, along the walls and in the village propper. Everyone was playing their part, everyone was there for her, helping her...she needed to move, to do, to…

“I need to find all of the other tailed beasts before Hashirama does.” Sakura looked down at Tobirama. “Stay with him, won’t you? There is something I must do.”

“Of course, and if he wakes, shall I…” Mito hesitated.

“If he wakes. Tell him what you know.” Sakura pulled the old seal from her pouch and laid it in Mito’s open hand. “Tell him what you told me.”

Mito nodded. What a remarkable woman, she thought again, did she keep nothing for herself?

“Thank you, Mito Hime.” Sakura bowed herself out of the room.

Madara was waiting for her at the end of the hallway of the Uchiha main house where they had taken Tobirama after the battle.

“He is stable, he will live.” Sakura collapsed into Madara’s arms. “I need to leave soon, I need to…talk to you.” There were things that needed to be said between them as well.

“You need to rest Sakura.” Madara kissed the top of her head. “You need to sleep.” He picked her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom down the hall, laid her in his bed and smoothed the hair back from her face.

“I’ll be here when you wake.” Madara pulled another chakra pill from his pocket and slipped it past her lips, bent his head and kissed her gently while she chewed and swallowed.

Tears dripped down her face. “I am...grateful for your…we never had a chance to talk about us and ...Madara I want you to know that I...”

Madara cut her off with another kiss, a deeper more heartfelt kiss. “It is you that should be thanked and we that are grateful, all of us. Rest, my Hime.” Madara pulled his covers up over her, tucked them under her chin and kissed her forehead. “Whatever it is you have to say to me can wait, until you’ve rested.”

“I’ll be down the hall, if you need me.” Madara slid the door shut behind him, her eyes closed, the thumping of her heart slowing with her breathing, she was asleep before he took his second step into the main room of the Uchiha house.

“Is it true?” Sasuke Sarutobi stood up from his seat when Madara entered the room. “Is what Izuna tells me true?” The Sarutobi Clan head asked, the awe and wonder in his voice clear.

Madara cast a quick glance at his younger brother and sighed...leave it to Izuna to fill in the holes. “It’s true.” Madara sat down beside his brother and picked up his steaming cup of tea.

“Kami.” Sasrutobi fell down to the floor in shock, then looked up at Madara in awe. “Asura and Indra Otsutsuki.” He muttered to himself.

“I attacked...Asura Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths...heir.” Realization of the depth of the recent battle fell over him. Sasuke Sarutobi shook his head again.

“Shit.” Sarutobi looked around the room, his eyes lighting on each face.

“What did Sakura say about Tobirama and where is Mito?” Izuna asked his brother, refilling his now empty tea cup, allowing the Sarutobi some much needed recovery time.

“Tobirama will survive his brother’s attack and Mito is sitting with him. Sakura is resting in my bed chamber.” Madara rubbed his hands over his face. “She will wish to leave as soon as she wakes. However, I do not think that is a good idea.”

“You can’t stop her.” Shukaku unrolled himself from his ball in the corner of the room, walked out the door and down the hall, presumably to join Sakura in Madara’s bedchamber.

Ashina watched the tail of the one tail disappear around the corner of the door. “She befriended a tailed beast.” He looked around the room at the other powerful men gathered there. “He came to her of his own volition, of his own desire.”

“She will want to gather the others.” Madara set his tea cup down on the table hard. “I don’t think I will be able to stop her.” He said honestly.

“Hashirama will...he’ll...know, won’t he?” Izuna asked his brother. “He’ll be hunting them too won’t he Madara, to get to them before her?”

“Yes.” Madara confirmed everyone’s suspicions. “...and when he gathers them all under his control, he will...return for her, for us.”

“Then the solution is simple, we must help Sakura Hime find and capture the tailed beasts before he does.” Ashina looked from face to face again.

“Not capture, befriend.” Madara corrected the Uzumaki Clan head.

“Yes, befriend, did you not see the sand raccoon, how he fought with her, for her...he is loyal to her.” Sarutobi nodded as though to himself. “If she could collect them all and befriend them...no one would be able to stand up to Konoha.”

Ashina stroked his beard...the Sarutobi’s words were true. Sakura was on her way to being the most powerful, the most hated woman in the world...if she could get to the tailed beasts before Hashirama Senju, the Kami of Shinobi.

“Her chances?” Ashina asked the others.

Madara chuckled, crossed his arms over his chest and looked the old man in the eyes, his own eyes burning red and tomes spinning to form the Mangekyo sharingan. “Rather high I’d wager.”

Izuna looked at his brother, he knew something…

“I doubt he’ll let her go alone.” Madara uncrossed his arms and looked out the window to the East.

“Who?” Izuna asked, not understanding.

“Hatake of course, you saw, while we were fighting, he remained by her side, protecting our backs...but her, most of all. He wouldn’t let her out of his sight.” Madara was resigned, he knew this day would come, he had hoped for more time with her...but, he wasn’t a fool.

“Hajime?” Izuna asked, bewildered. “What does he have to do with...oh.” Izuna looked out the window to the East, just like his brother had.

“Yes, oh.” Madara poured himself another cup of tea, ignoring the inquisitive looks of Sarutobi and the Uzumaki.

Two weeks later...

_“Ashitoke! Come back Ashitoke!” His mother called after him as he ran down the hill, his arms out at his sides as he ran as fast as he could._

_“Mom! I’m a bird mom look!” Ashitoke leapt up into the air and flew...three feet before falling flat on his face in the grass and dirt._

_His mother knelt down beside him, a soft smile on her face and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. “A valiant effort my boy, but you are not a bird, you’re a human.” She kissed the top of his head and lifted him up into her arms._

_“One day mom, I will fly. One day, I will fly through the trees like a bird. You’ll see mom!” His tears had stopped and he was smiling again._

_“If you dream it, I am sure it will happen. Don’t ever stop dreaming.” His mother kissed him again._

_“Who are they?” Ashitoke lunged forward in his mother’s arms, looking over her shoulder at the large group of men that were walking toward their village. He felt her entire body stiffen, she pulled a kunai from...where had that been, since when did his mother carry shinobi weapons..._

_“Shh.” His mother shushed him, dropped to the ground and covered both her son and herself with her wide shawl. “Quiet Ashitoke, do not make a sound, if they see us, they will kill us.”_

_Ahitoke’s eyes went wide, he bit his lip, but stayed quiet, just as his mother told him to. He watched with his mother as the men entered their village in the not so far distance. He gasped and buried his face in her chest when he heard the screaming, felt the...carnage._

_His mother’s grip on his wrist was painful, but he didn’t try to pull his arm from her grasp. He could feel a strange and powerful energy coming from her but didn’t know what it was._

_Hajime had never seen his mother so tense before, so focused, so alert. Her face was blank, wiped clean of feeling or emotion like she was...a different person._

_His mother’s head jerked to the left. Hajime shuddered, a familiar voice, a familiar scream...no...no!_

_He shook in her arms until evening, until his mother, with stiffened hands pulled him to his feet, her shawl falling from her shoulders where it had covered them, protected them...he watched it fall to the ground._

_“Mom?” Ashitoke looked up at his mother. Her face was contorted, her fists were clenched._

_“When will it end Kaguya, when will you let your sister live in peace?” His mother’s eyes burned with rage. Who was she talking to, what was she talking about?_

_“Mom?” Ashitoke whispered again, pulling on her sleeve._

_His mother looked down at him with angry eyes. He gasped and took a quick step backward, his mother had only ever looked at him with love in her eyes._

_“This is your fault.” She told him to his great shock. Her voice was...different. “If it wasn’t for you...my lady Izayoi would still be alive.”_

_Izayoi, who was Izayoi?_

_“What...do you mean?” Ashitoke starred. He couldn’t even cry. Where was his kind mother? Where were her loving eyes? “Mom?”_

_“Don’t call me that!” The woman screamed. “I’m not your mother! I never wanted you! My mission is done, my job is complete. You are no longer my responsibility.” She ripped her sleeve from his tiny hands and pushed him to the ground._

_Hajime stumbled and fell, his mouth opening and closing in shock. Who, who was this woman?_

_“I curse you and your clan! If it wasn’t for you, Lady Shizuka would still be, would still be alive, her and her mother!” The only mother Ashitoke had ever known, drew a kunai from her sleeve and slashed at his throat._

_The boy leapt back, rolled...and ran. He ran until he could run no more. He ran until his small body broke and fell. He fell down the cliffside, his eyes closed, the tears falling to the sides of his face as the wind whipped at his white locks._

_It was all his fault. It was his fault they were all dead. He was to blame for their deaths. He was to blame for...what was her name...for Lady Izayoi, for Lady Shizuka’s deaths. Whoever they were._

Hajime woke up with a start. That dream again, always that dream.

“Shizuka. What will you do now?” Hajime rose from his bed and padded barefoot to look out of his bedroom window, his fingers clenched the frame, his body covered in sweat. “She wasn’t dead, she was alive.

“Do you still not know who you really are?” How could she know, he asked himself, when he had recently figured it out himself.

Dawn was breaking. He could feel his family moving around him, his clan. They would be leaving soon, for Konoha, their new home. The missive had come just last night, requesting his silence, for the sake of the village...signed by Madara Uchiha, Izuna Uchiha, Tobirama Senju, Mito Uzumaki, Ashina Uzumaki, Sasuke Sarutobi and...her Sakura Haruno. If her name hadn’t been on the missive...he might not have signed it and sent it back but it was, had been...will be forever.

History, they were making history.

He had written her, she had written back. He had dreamt of her. She weighed heavily on his mind. The dream he had just had, disturbing as it was...was what he normally dreamt of, broken up only by dreams of Sakura, and her past, but mostly of a man he had never met, of this Ashitoke, of...himself.

The sky was lightening, he needed to move and yet, he stood rooted to the floor. If they failed...he closed his eyes...it would be a hell that none of them would survive. They couldn’t fail.

If they succeeded. It would be a new world, for all of them. Did they all feel this way, was this their curse...to live and die over and over until they finally got it right?

Enlightenment...was a funny thing.

Hajime ran his left hand through his spiky white locks and sighed. “You’d better be worth it woman.” He grunted as he pulled his shirt off over his head and reached for a clean one, turning from the window.

“Tailed beasts, kami of shinobi, Otsutsuki…” He muttered as he shut the door to his room for the last time. “Foul mouthed pink haired medic nin.”

Hajime stood, his hands in his pockets, his shoulders slouched as his slate eyes burned orange with the flames that engulfed his ‘old home’. Fire destroyed, cleansed and erased. In a few years, no one would even know that the Hatake Clan had once dwelled among these forests. In a few years the Hatake Clan would only be associated with the name Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

They left shortly after the sun had fully risen over the treetops.

She was in her garden when she felt them. He was here, just as he had promised and his clan with him. She met him at the gate, standing in between Madara and Izuna Uchiha, her hair long and loose flowing over her shoulders in the breeze. Tobirama and Mito Uzumaki behind them.

“Hatake San, welcome home.” Madara smiled a half smile befitting his title of Hokage and extended his hand, wrist exposed.

Hajime smiled his signature lazy smile and clasped his palm to Madara’s forearm. “Glad to be here Uchiha, or should I call you Hokage Sama?” Hajime grinned at the Uchiha.

“Madara, is fine.” The Hokage smiled good naturedly at his newest citizen and his clan. “Let’s get you settled in shall we?”

“Excellent idea.” Hajime’s eyes moved past the Hokage to fall onto Sakura. “Sakura, it’s good to see you again.” He smirked.

“Start any more impossible wars in my absence?” He continued to smirk at her as she narrowed her eyes at him.

“I see our time apart hasn’t changed my opinion of you, you’re still as big of an asshole as you were two weeks ago, Hajime.” Sakura rolled her eyes and turned her back to the man.

Hajime bent over and barked out a loud sharp laugh of delight. “I see your attitude hasn’t changed either, just as feisty as ever eh?”

“Are you quite done?” Tobirama glared at the Hatake, he was less than pleased to see the man again so soon.

“Oh...not dead I see, good for you, gonna assist the Hime is hunting down your traitorous brother?” Hajime flicked a piece of straw from his sleeve absently, his eyes downcast. “Or will you betray us too and join him, perhaps you already have and are a spy hum?” Dark slate held Tobirama’s red with a sharp edge. 

“You…” Tobirama’s hand went to his pouch. Hajime started to make the signs for…

“Enough.” Sakura stopped both of them with a single word. “Tobirama is not a traitor. If your doubts are too great, leave...before you waste your time unpacking.” Sakura raised her chin and stared down the Hatake Clan head and waited for his reply.

No one moved…a few Hatakes behind Hajime craned their necks to get a look at the woman who had barked at their clan head…

“I see I’ve made the right choice. We’ll stay.” Hajime bowed to Sakura, void of repentance for his sharp tongue, or for his guile. 

“Good. I’ve enough to do without your dumb ass causing trouble.” Sakura quipped, at ease now that the fireworks had faded.

“Oh?” Hajime fell into step beside the small woman as they walked toward the new Hatake housing.

Izuna stood silently beside his brother and watched Sakura talk with the Hatake Clan head like an old friend. His eyes darted to his brother beside him who was also watching.

“She might not have chosen me, but she didn’t choose you yet, not officially has she?” Izuna asked his brother. He knew as well as the others that Sakura had graced Madara with her presence in his bed twice since Tobirama had left the Uchiha house for his own.

Madara remained silent, but his eyes bled red as he watched Sakura lay her hand on Hajime’s with unfounded familiarity, a familiarity that hadn’t been there two weeks ago.

Mito watched the men around her, each focused on the small pink haired woman who was walking farther and farther away from then, nearly arm in arm with the newest member of the village as his clan walked behind them. “Perhaps someone should follow them and see that they get settled properly?” She suggested.

“I’ll go.” Izuna looked from his brother to Tobirama, who also...had not made any move to assist the Hatakes.

“I’ll go with you.” Mito smiled, took Izuna’s arm and waved over her shoulder at Madara and Tobirama.

“Do you think she’ll…” Tobirama began but Madara cut him off.

“I’d prefer not to make any more assumptions when it comes to our Sakura.” Madara said with a slight shake of his head. “It doesn’t mean I won’t have a few words of warning for her though.”

Tobirama grunted. Yeah, he had a few words for her too.


	62. Chapter 62

Unpacking the Hatake clan had taken less time than any of them had thought it would. By noon, all of the six families Hajime had brought to Konoha with him, were settled.

Sakura, Izuna, Mito and Hajime sat on the back porch of Hajime’s new house that had been one of the last houses Hashirama had built with his wood style before fleeing the village he had helped create.

Mito and Izuna were commenting on what kinds of flowers would look best in the Hatake’s new garden that had yet to be planted while Sakura and Hajime enjoyed a rare silence between them, listening to the other two converse.

“When are you going?” He asked her suddenly without looking at her. There was no need to clarify the subject of their conversation, he knew, she knew what he was referring to.

“Soon.” Sakura tilted her head back to the sky. It was warm and getting warmer. It was summer now. “The Aburame and the Inuzuka will be joining us before Winter. Their visit last week went extremely well.”

Hajime snorted, causing Izuna to look his way. “Of course it did, word of your battle spread...you nearly single handedly beat Hashirama Senju into a bloody pulp. They were impressed.”

It was Sakura’s turn to snort. “You were there, so was everyone else, it was hardly single handed.” She laughed ruefully.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit.” Hajime’s voice was low, soft.

Sakura straightened her back and lifted her head up to look at him. His voice held none of the snide sarcastic asshole snark she had come to associate with him. Instead it almost sounded...sincere. 

“Hmmm.” She made a low humming sound of acknowledgement, either for his statement or in understanding of why he had said it, he wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter.

Mito rose to her feet, Izuna rising with her. “I hope your clan finds happiness here in Konoha Hatake San. It was a pleasure meeting the rest of your clan.” Mito bowed respectfully to Hajime, then to Sakura.

“Taking off?” Sakura asked with a smile.

“Izuna and I are going to visit Tobirama San, would you care to join us or…” Mito’s dark eyes flickered to Hajime in clear inquiry, the smae small smile on her lips that Sakura had on her own.

“I’ll visit him later this evening for dinner, thank you Mito.” Sakura smiled at the Uzumaki whom she had grown much more friendly with in the last two weeks, and who had been a great help sitting beside Tobirama while he continued to heal more naturally of his fatal wounds after Sakura had ensured his...survival.

“As you wish.” Mito smiled a knowing smile as she left Sakura with Hajime, pulling a rather disgruntled Izuna with her by the sleeve. “Come Izuna.” Mito’s laughter followed them as they walked to the end of the house.

Hajime watched them go through half hooded, lazy eyes, then leapt to his feet once they had rounded the corner of his home. “Let’s go.”

“What?” Sakura looked at the hand he had reached out to her in mild suspicion. “Where?”

“The training grounds, you need to let off some steam and maybe brush up on your taijutsu before you leave. Madara’s a crappy sensei.” Hajime smirked, making Sakura laugh out loud. Only a Hatake would call Madara Uchiha a crappy anything.

Madara had been working with her every night after dinner on her taijutsu, something Hashirama was extremely skilled in. ‘If you insist on going after him, and I don’t like that you are, you must be better at taijutsu than you are now.’, he had told her. So, he had begun to train her, hard, each night after her dinners with Tobirama dinner.

Before Madara had taken it upon himself to train her however, she had trained a bit with Tobirama and Izuna...twice, if that counted, and had considered herself rather good in taijutsu from the training she had received from Tsunade in her own time...before she had trained with them...twice.

It had taken two blows from Tobirama and being thrown halfway across the new training grounds by Izuna, for her to reconsider her skill level in comparison to theirs. They hadn’t been called legends...for nothing.

She was getting better, she was incredibly agile and quick, but she lacked the follow through of a seasoned and natural taijutsu fighter...in their opinion. It wasn’t until after two serious rounds with Madara that she realized just how different their times really were and just how superior he was to Tobirama and Izuna...how skilled Hashirama was...and how easy, Hashirama had gone on her in their previous battle.. 

With Madara there was no hold back, only follow through...deadly, follow through. There was no, incapacitate, only kill, quickly and ruthlessly. There was no quarter, only finality...ruthless finality.

...no wonder Madara had decimated nearly a quarter of their forces only ten minutes into their battle...had taken down all five Kages...single handedly. He was more than the man she had grown to know and understand. When they trained together...he was the legend she had learned of in her history books. The man that had single handedly taken on the entire shinobi world of her time. The man, who had lost...repeatedly against Hashirama Senju...

Which made her wonder...what the hell had she been thinking, taking Hashirama on like she had. Which in turn made her smile, because even if Hashirama had gone easy on her, she had pushed him, made him dodge, made him...retreat...and she would do it again, with the help and training of her friends and their support.

They had arrived at the training fields. Hajime turned and smiled at her, she smiled back at him, wondering how they would begin.

“You’re not a bad fighter Sakura, but you could be so much better.” Hajime stopped her with a polite nod, which was...odd for him. “Your strength lies mostly in avoidance, but avoidance won’t kill your opponent, won’t win you a war.”

His voice dropped. “Make no mistake Sakura, we are at war, with Hashirama Senju and whatever tailed beasts he will have under his control when you find him.”

They stood there in the middle of the open training field, looking at one another. Sakura bit her bottom lip. “We?” She didn’t like the sound of that, no matter how reassuring it was.

“Do you really think he’ll fight fair and come after you alone, or that we will let him?” Hajime touched her shoulder lightly with the very tips of his fingers. “He’ll want you...and Konoha.”

Of course he will. She knew that but…

“He’ll want to go with you, you know that don’t you?” Hajime took a step toward her, his palm sliding over the crest of her shoulder then down her back.

“Madara?” She understood why, but she hadn’t thought Hajime did.

“Don’t let him follow you.” Hajime pulled her toward him with his hand at the base of her back making her trip.

“Hajime, what are you…”

His fingers drew into a fist, gathering the fabric of her shirt together, with a quick step to the side, he jerked her forward by the fabric of her shirt, lifted his knee and flipped her over onto her back at his feet.

“He’ll distract you, and you will distract him.” He said into her ear softly, bending over her body

“Don’t let your guard down Sakura, no matter who you’re with. Now is the time that friends will turn into enemies.” His knee was in her chest, his kunai pressed to the side of her throat, she could feel the thin trickle of blood seeping into her collar where he had pressed his advantage.

“You can’t trust Madara Uchiha to do what is in your best interest, to choose you over his best friend and they are best friends...aren’t they.” Hajime’snose brushed against the sensitive base of her ear making her skin ripple with awareness.

“...and you, should I not trust you either?” She stared into his eyes, her own wide...for a moment she had seen...it had felt like…

“Do you trust me?” He laughed more like the asshole she had first seen in him when they had first met.

“No.” Sakura rose to her feet as he rose to his knees then to his feet and stepped away from her, allowing her to move on her own.

“...because we were never friends.” He bowed to her in mock respect, making her eyes narrow. 

The moment had passed as quickly as it had come...whatever it was...

“Why do you do that?” She asked him once he had straightened back up to his full height, shoulders slightly slouched.

“You’re going to have to be more specific if you expect me to answer you.” He pulled a small book from his pouch and began to read, presumably ignoring her...but she knew better. He was watching her every move, every twitch and roll of the eyes...he was...testing her.

Her eyes darted to his waist...there were no bells there, she snorted...of course...there wouldn’t be, she berated herself for her own foolishness.

“Why are you helpful, then...such a jerk to me?” Sakura put her hands on her hips and glared at the white haired man.

Grey eyes looked up at her over the rim of the book, direct and unwavering for a change. “You know why Sakura.”

He rolled his book back up, stuck it in his back pocket and pulled two kunai from his pouch. “Don’t you.”

Sakura swallowed. “Yes.” She whispered. She did, she just...wished that she didn’t. She closed her eyes. She felt him move, ducked, spun and kicked out catching his ankle with the heel of her foot. He wanted to push her, push himself.

“Impressive but…” Hajime kicked hard off the ground with his other leg, spun, pulled wire from his pouch with one hand and made the hand signs for the lightning release with the other.

Sakura recognized that move, he was...going to kill her…

Dropping to the ground and rolling as she made swift hand signs of her own, fire exploded from above and below, trapping Hajime between two massive walls of fire.

“Fire eh?” Hajime said from behind her.

“When did…” Sakura grabbed his shin and his calf in her hands as his foot shot out, he kicked her in the stomach, she pulled him with her using the momentum of his kick to twist his ankle and her own body to the left, they fell to the ground, Sakura on top of Hajime...a kunai pressed against his neck.

“Not a clone.” She breathed hard into his chest as his hands rose slowly from his side to grip her hips. “This is really you, not one of your stupid clones.” she panted, her breath still labored, her adrenaline coursing through her veins.

“Not a clone.” He whispered, pressing her down against his groin. Sakura’s eyes flew open wide. Kakashi had done that, the first time they had, when he had...when they were…after he had confessed to her that he...

Sakura leapt to her feet, made the hand signs and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

“What did you expect her to do, profess her undying love to you or something?” Madara stepped out from the shadows of the trees beside the field, his arms crossed over his chest.

“I expect, it was because she knew you were watching us.” Hajime turned to greet the Hokage, nodding cordially to the Uchiha before rolling easily to the side and up onto his feet.

“Were you the one to teach her that damned fire jutsu?” Hajime flexed his shoulders, releasing some of the strain from their spar.

“Not I, nor Izuna.” Madara said casually with a look in his eye that was anything but casual.

“Ah, I see.” Hajime looked off into the distance where he could both smell Sakura and sense her chakra signature. Her chakra signature had changed and had continued to change, he wondered, what the others thought of this, if they sensed it too.

“Do you.” Madara tilted his head back to the sky and sighed. “I wonder.” He had expected this but...he thought, he had more time, it seemed that their bond was far greater than he had...assumed or counted on.

“More than you with those blasted eyes of yours. You have no plans of...interfering?” Hajime looked at the Hokage seriously. Curiously.

“The choice is hers. I’m not the same man who killed you before...Ashitoke San.” Madara sighed again. No, he wouldn’t interfere, but he wasn’t going to stop...caring for her that way, until she told him she didn’t want him anymore. It was his bed, she came to sometimes at night. He would be there for her...if she wanted him.

“No, I see that you’re not the same...Indra.” Hajime used the man’s phrasing. “As I am no longer Ashitoke and she is no longer the woman I had fallen in love with or the woman who fell in love with me.” Hajime smiled a little.

“You look pleased. That is a...surprise.” Madara cocked his head to the side, giving Hajime an interested sort of puzzled look. The damn man had always been a mystery, a thorn in his side but this time...perhaps...

“I am.” Hajime smiled. A smile that shone in his eyes and curved his lips. “If she chooses me this time, it won’t because she has turned away from him, and if she chooses you, if won’t be out of grief eh?” Hajime winked at the Hokage, then he too disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Madara snorted. Blasted man...he had always been...infuriating. He had seen them walking together from the new Hatake housing and had followed them. Not out of jealousy, but curiosity, they were walking toward the training grounds.

He had seen the man lean in close, pull Sakura to him, then flip her onto her back. He had nodded in understanding. Good, he was showing her...trust would be an illusion, to always be aware. 

Madara rubbed his wrist absently as he walked through the newly laid streets of the market toward the Uchiha main house. Would she have been better off, he wondered, if she hadn’t met any of them, gotten drawn into their affairs, been made the central point among them...their true north. It was too late of course, he couldn’t turn back time...he lurched forward, his mind stopping his feet before his body could catch up.

Could he? Dare he even entertain such a thought...could he do that to her...again… He had seen first hand, like the others the torment of knowing, of not knowing and of...remembering, had done to her. How much more could she take from them, all of them. How much more should she be forced to endure.

She hadn’t asked for any of it, none of this was her fault...Madara slowly resumed his steps. He could feel Mito and Izuna at the main house and wondered...those two seemed to be spending quite a lot of time together lately. Sakura would be having dinner with Tobirama, like she had for the last two weeks of his recovery. She would want to leave soon, now that the man was better...would she, allow him to accompany her?

Madara sighed. He couldn’t, even if she allowed it and he doubted very much that she would, he was the Hokage...he couldn’t abandon his village. Konoha had to come first, but by sending her...for Konoha and maybe...Tobirama…

Was it worth the risk…

...Konoha, had to come first. If Sakura chose the white haired Senju...well, there wasn’t anything he could do about it was there…

Sakura stood outside of the Senju main house wringing her hands together. What the hell had just happened, what had Hajime been thinking to...to…

“Sakura?” Tobirama slid the door to his bedroom open and looked out into his garden where Sakura was standing. “Are you well?”

“Yes.” Sakura nodded, looking away, unable to meet his eyes fully. “I know it is early, for dinner I mean uh but…”

Tobirama watched her fidget. “You’re more than welcome to come in, if you...like?” He was curious, she had never been so...anxious around him or nervous, since they had met, not like she was now...was it because the Hatake’s were here or perhaps because the Inuzuka and the Aburame were going to be joining the village soon?

No, of course not...it was his brother of course and the...hunt for the tailed beasts. Tobirama’s eyes fell to the small bulge in Sakura’s left hip pouch. The tanuki, Shukaku...he was always with her now it seemed, protecting her, watching over her. It almost...almost made him jealous. He had wondered, in his fevered semiconscious haze while he had healed, what it would be like...to be carried around in her pouch, to be close to her night and day. Lucky bastard.

Tobirama slid the door open and stepped back so Sakura could walk past him into his home. “I’ll make some tea.”

“So…” Tobirama set a cup of tea in front of his...friend after they had settled at the sitting room table. “What’s gotten you so worked up?”

“Oh uh, just…” Sakura looked down at her tea. She was being selfish. They had talked about Hashirama of course while Tobirama recovered but… “I was sparring with Hajime and…”

“You’ll do fine.” Tobirama understood. He had very little to do while he was forced to stay in his bed recovering, he had tried in vain to understand why his brother had...done what he had. He hadn’t been able to come to any sort of understanding, only more...anger but he did come to a conclusion on a few important points.

“He loves you. He wouldn’t kill you, you know that.” Tobirama paused. Sakura’s hand had been reaching out to pick up her teacup but she had stopped midway when he had spoken those words to her. “If he wanted you dead, you would be dead.”

“I know, that is more frightening to me, than the possibility of dying.” Sakura let her hand fall back to her lap, her fingers trembling. She didn’t trust herself to pick up her tea now without spilling it.

“Why?” He wasn’t trying to goad her or to undermine her determination but...he had watched her fight his brother and knew...his brother, hadn’t been the only one holding back in their battle.

“I’m a fool.” Sakura’s frame shuddered. “I shouldn’t even be speaking to you about, this.”

Tobirama sat back on his seat, his abdomen was healed but it was still sore and sitting for even short periods of time still cramped and pained him. Sakura was an excellent healer but...he suspected she hadn’t healed him completely, on purpose so he wouldn’t...couldn’t, go after his brother right away. She had given him time to think, by making him take time to heal.

“You gave him a two week head start...intentionally, didn’t you?” He asked her, red eyes intent on the dark pulsation ebbing from her central chakra points, her intent had...spiked, then calmed itself. “Does Madara know, does he know you still...love my brother, his brother?”

“Madara isn’t a fool.” Sakura wasn’t a coward either. She lifted her head to meet Tobirama’s red eyes and held them.

“Nor am I.” Tobirama said quietly. “You’ve thought this through.”

Sakura nodded. There were so many things that were being said between them, without being said that it was deafening. Tobirama cleared his throat and spoke again.

“He’ll be waiting for you. Hashirama. I think you know, like I do...like Madara does that he is in waterfall and has been since he left Konoha.” Tobirama pulled a small storage scroll from under the trick drawer of the sitting table that they were sitting at and rolled it across the polished surface where Sakura caught it with the tips of her fingers, looking up at Tobirama...asking him with her eyes...what it was.

“The Uchiha...weren’t the only clan, to bear a curse.” Tobirama said so quietly that she almost hadn’t heard him. “He’s waiting for you...to come to him, but you already know that don’t you Sakura.”

Sakura’s eyes widened.

“I didn’t know it would be you. Of all the people in the world…” He shook his head as though he were still in disbelief. “I never would have guessed it would be you to...break our curse. Kami sure does have a twisted sense of humor.”

“Not kami Tobirama, Kaguya.” Sakura clenched the scroll in her fist, stood and walked out of the Senju main house leaving Tobirama looking down at her teacup, still untouched, unblemished...so that he wouldn’t have to see her forever in his mind...walking away.


	63. Chapter 63

_Ashitoke wiped his eyes on his sleeve, he had to be brave, he had to keep going...he had to see for himself what had happened in the village...his village. His body was bruised, his arm was broken but he continued, one foot in front of the other, he moved, slowly toward the rise...to stand on the crest and looked down into hell._

_It was on fire. His village was on fire._

_“No, Kami no.” The words left his cut and bleeding lips as he ran, hugging his broken arm to his side, he ran...home._

_The dead lay almost two deep, their blood soaking into the ground, the stench of voided bowels filled his nose making him gag and retch but among the dead, among the crackling of the flames...he heard a cry, a baby...was crying._

_Again he ran, deeper into death, deeper into the flames...until he stood outside of the largest home, the largest fire...the house he had always been told to avoid, the garden he was never allowed to look into…_

_His small hand reached out, he winced and stumbled in pain as his broken arm jostled at his side, he bit his lips to bleeding and entered the burning building._

_It was hot, it was so very hot...he was suffocating. Ashitoke was drawing in air and yet...his lungs felt no relief, it burned, it stunk, it was hopeless...then he heard it again, the baby...hope, someone who needed him, someone far worse off than he...he felt that if he...if he saved them that he too might be saved...if he could help them that he too might…_

_He rounded the corner and gasped, in the middle of the room...lay a mound of dead. Women, servants, maids...fallen one on top of the other and then he saw her...a little. Pink. Head. Of. Candy. Floss. Hair._

_The baby was still in her mother’s embrace. Hajime bent, choked out his own cry of pain and scooped the baby from it’s mother’s arms, turned and ran back out of the house before it collapsed and took them both to hell with the rest of the dead._

_“It’s okay.” He told the baby. “I’ve got you.” He whispered into it’s short pink fuzz as he ran from the village like a thief in the night._

Hajime woke with a start...he had been dreaming of her, them...again. That night, when everything had changed...

“Kaguya, you bitch. You won’t let me forget will you. I see that mercy...remains to be a word you know nothing about.” Hajime ran his fingers through his sweat dampened hair.

“Regret, however...seems to be your constant companion. Feeling sentimental?” He threw back his covers, walked to the window of his bedroom and threw open the shutters to look up at the moon. “What the hell am I supposed to do about it? You expect too much…” He growled.

“This is your fault, as much as it is mine.” He knew he sounded crazy but he wasn’t. He knew she could hear him, even if she couldn’t respond. “I tried you know. I tried to right your wrong. I gave her to a kind family, a family of merchants, they loved her, your niece.”

Hajime leaned against the edge of the window, his long arms falling over the sides allowing him to hug the sill. “I loved her too, you know.”

“It was your clan, your damned clan that was cursed...is cursed.” He closed his eyes against the glare of the moon, as though Kaguya was glaring at him herself and sighed. “It’s not my fault, only a member of your own clan can break the curse, if I could save her the heartache...I would. If I could have stopped Asura from...you named me her protector, bound us by...I didn’t ask for this.”

It wasn’t his fault, he knew it but...guilt. Was that his own eternal burden of the soul...like Indra’s was power and Asura’s obsession.

‘I’ll bind your souls. You’ll be her protector because...I can not. Wolves mate for life. The love I will give you, will be timeless.’ That’s what Kaguya had told him that night, that’s what she had said when she had created them as...the first soulmates...

“Shizuka.” Hajime dropped to the floor of his room and leaned his head back against the wall. How was it fair, to any of them...no it wasn’t his fault. It was Kaguya’s. It was Kaguya’s fault that Shizuka would spend an eternity trying to keep them all together, giving them her hope and her strength, her love and devotion only to be ripped from them over and over again...it was Kaguya’s fault.

...because she had been jealous, of her sister Izayoi Otsutsuki and the happiness she had found...a happiness that had been stolen from Kaguya by The Land of That...over a land dispute. Petty, so petty.

Hajime clenched his fists together. So close. They had been so close to finding their happiness again, together as Sakura and Kakashi...but Indra’s reincarnation...again…

“It isn’t their fault.” He told himself over and over again. It wasn’t their fault. They didn’t know, they hadn’t remembered. Only those that had been touched by the light...remembered. He had been in the dark. He almost wished that he hadn’t remembered, it was a terrible burden to bear, but when Kakashi Hatake had released his soul...his soul that had been touched by Sakura’s light...it had returned to him...and he had remembered, everything.

“Regret.” Hajime muttered. A lot of good that did them. “Do you regret releasing those parts of your will now?” He asked out loud. The room remained silent. Like always. “Regret.” Hajime laughed a mirthless laugh.

“Too bad you didn’t release your will to regret Kaguya, only your will to seek power, to obsess and to hope.” He shook his head. Perhaps hope wasn’t the right word. 

“To heal.” Hajime closed his eyes...he couldn’t bear to see, to look anymore...at the world around him.

Hajime lifted his head. He could feel her moving slowly toward the Uchiha compound and wondered, did the younger Senju feel the same, did he wonder how it would all end. He would pity him if he could. This was the first time the reincarnations had been born into different families, the first time they had been separated, and yet somehow, they had still found their way back to one another.

He hadn’t been overly cautious when he had told Sakura that she couldn’t trust Madara to do what was in her best interest, their bond was too deep. Deeper than any bond he had with her. Blood was blood.

Hajime placed his hand over his heart and closed his eyes. Yes, blood was blood, but there were different kinds of blood bonds weren’t there. Blood bonds of brotherhood and of...love. Eternal love.

“More like damnation.” Hajime muttered, moving back toward his bed. She had reached the Uchiha compound, she wouldn’t be leaving tonight.

“Sakura.” Madara sat up in his bed as Sakura slid his bedroom door open then shut behind her. He lifted the covers to his bed and watched her climb in beside him. They knew what everyone thought, it didn’t matter, let them think what they would. It was comfort, not sex that she sought from him, comfort and touch, to feel close to someone again in a way that she couldn’t get from anyone else without offering them more, without them expecting more from her.

It suited them.

“I’m leaving in the morning.” She whispered into his arm as he wrapped it around the back of her neck and over her shoulder, letting his forearm fall over her chest.

“I know.” He kissed the top of her head readjusting his hold on her, letting her settle more comfortably into his frame.

“You can’t come with me.” She kissed his hand.

“I know.” He breathed in and out slow measured breaths. “Tobirama…”

“Has not recovered enough to join me.” She cut him off before he could explore that avenue of thought.

“Hajime then?” He understood. “Your connection…”

“I don’t want to talk about Hajime or any connection you think I might have with him or Ashitoke.” Sakura said a little more forcefully than she had meant to. “I don’t want to think of Kakashi when I am in your bed, even if we aren’t...lovers now.”

Madara remained silent for a moment, thinking. “In our dreams though..”

“Dreams are not real Madara.” Sakura closed her eyes, her cheek against his warm bare chest and sighed. “I can’t recall everything from my past like you, like Hashirama or Hajime. You seem to have regained all of your memories from all of your lives but I...I think there are parts of my lives I’m still missing. Not everything makes sense to me.”

“What doesn’t make sense to you?” Madara asked her gently. 

“Too much.” She didn’t elaborate.

“Hn.” Madara closed his eyes. “Hashirama’s flowers…”

“I know.” Sakura said without opening her eyes.

“Of course you do.” He realized...she had thought everything through, there was nothing more he could do to...help. “Come back, to the village when you’re done. You must come back.”

“I will.” She didn’t add the rest of the sentence that was in both of their minds… ‘If I live.’ She didn’t need to. He felt the light tremor run down her back, he could feel her chakra pulse and flutter.

“Then I will see you again.” He said confidently, for her sake.

“...and in your dreams.” She smiled against his chest.

Madara nodded silently. Sometimes, he thought to himself, dreams are not enough. They lack...sustenance.

He woke before dawn. His arms still wrapped tightly around her small body. Her flyaway hair tickling his nose. “I love you, more than I can possibly tell you.”

“I know.” Sakura didn’t open her eyes, she didn’t have to look into his eyes to know that he meant what he said. “I wish...I could love you the way that…”

“This is enough.” Madara ducked his head, lifted her mouth to his with the back of his hand and kissed her hard.

“Is it?” Sakura held his eyes with her own, a challenge.

Madara growled a low feral growl, threw back the covers of the bed and pushed her down hard, lifting her shirt, pulling it from her body. 

“No, I lied.” He pulled at the ties of her pants kicking his own to his ankles and off the ends of his feet, spread her legs and entered her hard.

“Ungh.” He froze inside of her. “Sakura, I’m sorry, I.”

“Don’t stop now!” She panted into his neck, rocking her hips up to meet his. This was the perfect way to say goodbye.

“I love you.” Madara smoothed the hair back from her face. “I don’t want this to be, to be...lust.” He moved slowly against her, gently moving inside of her, kissing her neck.

“It was never only lust with you Indra, but I can not...give you what you want, I…” She began to pull away from him, she was being selfish again, this wasn’t fair to him.

His hand pressed firmly against the back of her head forcing her mouth against his. “It is enough.” He kissed her hard, rocking back into her, lifting her up with his other hand at the small of her back, thrust after thrust he made love to her. 

The sun rose too soon for both of them. He kissed her again as she dressed and then on the back porch as she clung to the front of his sleeping kimono. Madara stood barfoot and watched as she stepped off of his porch, into his garden and then into the woods that surrounded the Uchiha main house.

He turned back to his room, her smell still on his clothes, her taste still in his mouth and closed the door behind him. The others would find out soon enough. The Hime of Konoha...had left the village.

Tobirama looked down at his hands, so...she had said goodbye to the Uchiha but not to him and the other...well, he threw his legs over the side of his bed...at least she wouldn’t be alone.

“Why did you let him mate with you?” Shukaku’s nose poked up and over the flap of Sakura’s pouch. Judgmental yellow and black eyes looked up at her. “You should not have let him take you like that.”

“He didn’t take me, I gave myself to him willingly. Madara wouldn’t force me, you make it sound like it was entirely his idea. I could have stopped him.” Sakura pet the tanuki lightly on the head.

“You shouldn’t let anyone touch you like that when you have a proper mate.” Shukaku glared at her.

“I don’t have a mate. I am free to sleep with whomever I wish.” Sakura looked down at Shukaku, had he always been such a prude? She couldn’t recall him ever speaking to her like this in her time. Oh, she paused. She had been with Kakashi in her time and before him...no one, for years.

“When I get a mate Shukaku, I will be faithful. Is that what you are concerned about?” She asked him playfully.

“You have a mate.” Shukaku said stubbornly. “Or did you forget about Hatake?”

Sakura stopped walking but didn’t look down at Shukaku again. Instead she kept her head straight, her eyes focused on the man leaning against the last tree of the Konoha surrounding forest.

“No.” She said. “I didn’t forget about Hatake.”

“I would like to think.” The arrogant annoying voice was back. “That I am much too memorable to forget too quickly.” Hajime mock bowed to Sakura, then to Shukaku whose head poked out of the top of her pouch at her side, his yellow and black eyes gleaming as he looked from Sakura to Hajime.

“What are you doing here?” Sakura demanded, pointlessly, she already knew.

“What I was born to do of course.” He pushed off from the tree and looked at her expectantly. “Are we going to stand here all day or didn’t you have some tailed beasts to befriend and one insane kami of shinobi to stop?”

Sakura rolled her eyes. He would follow her, she knew...she wouldn’t be able to stop him and part fo her was...pleased to have him along. She wouldn’t be alone. “Fine.”

Sakura bit her thumb and pressed it to the ground at her feet. “...but we’ll move faster if we run.”

“Sakura.” Takeo towered over them at his full height, tail brushing the treetops. “Is it time?”

“If you’re ready?” She smiled up at her friend.

“I’m ready if you are.” Takeo pulled his gums back from his fangs in a grotesque grin. “He’s coming too?” Takeo nudged Hajime with the tip of his nose.

“Apparently.” Sakura jumped up onto Takeo’s back, her fingers twining with his scruff. “Well?” She looked down at Hajime expectantly.

“Right.” Hajime looked up at Takeo who nodded in understanding.

“Just don’t pull my fur out.” Takeo sniffed the air.

“Sakura you smell like…” He growled as Hajime settled on his back, behind Sakura.

“Let’s go Takeo, we don’t have time for it right now, later okay.” She didn’t want to talk about Madara, not in front of Hajime...even though she was sure the man could also… smell Madara Uchiha on her skin.

They weren’t mates here, they weren’t even friends. She wasn’t embarrassed, but it wasn’t any of his business.

“So, have you decided where we will go first Hime?” Hajime ignored the growling tanuki and the disgrunteled wolf to focus on the woman in front of him.

“Hashirama is in the Land of Waterfalls. We will be going to the east, to the dense forests of northern Fire.” Sakura turned her head to look behind her into the dark slate eyes of Hajime Hatake. “To find Kurama, the nine tails.”

Shukaku exploded into sand, fell from Takeo’s back and raced off into the West, toward the desert. Sakura laughed a little to herself. “They uh, don’t get along.”

“The nine tails, are you sure you want to go after him first?” Hajime didn’t know if he should be worried or impressed.

“Of course. He is expecting me no doubt. All of them are because of their link form the Sage of Six Paths but Kurama is different.” She placed her hand over her chest, over the spot Naruto had sealed her chakra before she had been thrown back in time with Kurama’s chakra. “He’s...a friend.”

“Right. Of course he is.” Hajime leaned forward, resting his chin on her shoulder and whispered playfully into her ear, “I look forward to being your friend too.”

“Coming from the man who told me this is the time where friends become enemies? That’s very reassuring.” Sakura laughed. They were leaving Konoha. They were going to find Kurama...it was going to be hard but...her fingers wove in and out of Takeo’s fur, she could feel Shukaku slithering back and forth along the border of Wind and Fire, could feel the heat of the man behind her...she wasn’t alone.

“I look forward to seeing Kurama again.” Sakura tipped her head back and let the warmth of the new day wash over her. She felt good, she felt free…

Hajime smiled to himself, she couldn’t see his face, it was the first time since meeting her that she looked genuinely...pleased with herself. Shizuka was never meant to be locked up, kept to a village, confined...this was good for her, them...mankind.

Izuna watched his brother with interest as the maid set their breakfast out before them. “Have a good night Hokage Sama?” He teased, the corners of his lips twitching.

“I did.” Madara ignored the annoying sarcasm in Izuna’s voice to focus on his rice. “Did you?”

Izuna snorted. “Not as good as you.”

“It’s not like that between us Izuna, it never was...for her.” Madara set his rice bowl down and looked his younger brother in the eye, as a warning. He was jealous.

“What of you Madara, what is it to you?” Izuna pushed his luck.

“Everything.” Madara picked up his tea cup, ignoring the skeptical look in his younger brother’s eyes. Izuna, might know of their past, but he would never, never understand the complexity of their intermingled relationships or emotions. Some things were better left unsaid.


	64. Chapter 64

Shukaku slithered along the border of Fire and Wind country muttering curses under his breath while in his sand form. Of course she wanted to find the nine tails, he had felt his revolting chakra in her when she had come to see him at his temple to talk but...he didn’t want to share her. He had...really started to like the pink haired woman in the past two weeks and wasn’t sure how he felt about collecting the other tailed beasts. What if...she liked the other tailed beasts...more than him?

Not since the Sage of Six Paths had he felt so...loved, so safe. If that stupid fox was around she wouldn’t want him, a raccoon, because compared to the nine tails...he only had one tail. Shukaku groaned. He was being childish, he knew, but it didn’t change the way he felt. There was just something about her that was so...comforting and appealing. He understood why the wolf followed her around with dewy eyes.

Shukaku sighed, who was he fooling, he would return to her, she might need him. Kurama could be...a little difficult sometimes.

“Are those the mountains you spoke of?” Hajime pointed to the obvious mountains ahead of them, his arm bumping annoyingly up against the side of her head.

Sakura growled low in her throat. The asshole was doing it on purpose, she knew it. He had been doing little things the whole fucking trip to push her buttons. “You don’t have to hit me over the head you know.” She snapped.

“Huh? Why Sakura, you’re so mean, snapping at me when I am only trying to point out that we are getting close to our destination.” He blinked at her innocently, tone full of innocent surprise, when she turned around to glare at him as his wrist hit her ‘accidentally’ in the ear again.

“...and if I wanted to hit you over the head, I would.” He smirked at her, his voice returning to normal, as she narrowed her eyes to slits.

“Why did you come if you’re just going to…” She began, but stopped when Takeo stopped abruptly making her slide forward on his neck, Hajime close behind her wrapped one arm around her waist, the other gripped a handful of Takeo’s fur to keep both of them from slipping off the massive wolf summons.

“He knows we’re here.” Takeo turned his head back over his shoulder, his eyes darting back and forth. “He probably smelled our approach.”

“I’ll go alone.” Sakura pulled Hajime’s arm from around her waist and slid off of Takeo’s back to the ground soundlessly. “Wait here.” She commanded both of them.

Hajime rolled his eyes and slid from the wolf’s back to follow her into the mountains.

“She told you to wait here.” Takeo growled at the man.

“I have ears wolf, I’m choosing to ignore her. You wait here if you’re so inclined to follow her blindly. I’m not risking her safety because she is too stubborn to admit she needs us.” Hajime disappeared around the crevice of stone, following Sakura into the mountains.

“Damn Hatakes, they never do what they are supposed to. She doesn’t need us for this, his chakra is in her, he’ll recognize it for kami’s sake.” Takeo laid down, his tail swishing back and forth behind him, his nose on his paws. At least...she wasn’t going alone, that was good he supposed, but both of them didn’t need to go.

Hajime stuck his head back out from around the stone crevice and beckoned to the wolf. “What are you waiting for, wolf, an invitation?”

“Fucking Hatake.” Takeo grumbled, rose and followed the smirking man into the mountain. She ddn’t need them but yeah...he had wanted to go to...stupid Hatake.

Kurama could feel something moving toward him through the mountain, something small and...familiar. Was that his chakra...it was faint but it was...there. A woman stepped out from around one of the many corners of his mountain, a very small, very pink haired woman. Kurama blinked. Her hair was still pink.

“Kurama.” Sakura smiled at the fox. “It’s so good to see you again. I’ve missed you.”

Kurama’s ears perked up at the soft feminine voice. He lifted his head and twitched his ears like large triangular saucers. “Do I...know you woman?”

Sakura laughed and nodded, tears in her eyes.

She looked like a normal woman to him. “You know me.” Sakura smiled at the fox. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed him.

Sakura nodded again and took two steps forward, bowing from the waist. “I’ve come to ask for your help, please.”

“My help?” Kurama frowned. “Ask?” She hadn’t been the first human to come looking for him, there had been one other before her...a century ago, but none that held his chakra within them, as she did.

“Yes.” Sakura sat down on the ground in front of him, like an old friend. It puzzled him. He remained wary.

“First.” Kurama lifted his head to look over Sakura’s shoulder. “Tell your friends to come out, to linger hidden in doorways...is rude.” Kurama growled as Hajime and Takeo stepped out from around the corner.

Sakura rolled her eyes at the two idiots. “Like you could hide from Kurama, sheesh you two really?” She laughed.

Kurama blinked at the strange woman sitting before him, her eyes sparkled with humor, there was no ill intent in her person and she was completely at ease in his presence...also…

“Where is Shukaku that obnoxious excuse for a tailed beast, I can smell him on you…” Kurama looked over her shoulder, past her friends as if he expected Shukaku to step out from around the corner as well.

“He didn’t want to come, once he found out I would be stopping here first.” Sakura grimaced a bit. “I see that I ought to have been more considerate of his feelings now. I’ll apologize to him later. You won’t be mean to him, will you when we meet up with him later?” She looked up at the great fox.

Apologize. Take a tailed beast's feelings into consideration...who the hell was this woman? “You’re a strange one.” Kurama mumbled.

“You have no idea how strange.” Hajime rolled his eyes and sat down next to Sakura on the ground before the fox smirking.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean asshole?” Sakura glared at the man beside her. 

“Since when do you sit so close to me either, you presumptuous prick.” She growled at Hajime who had begun to laugh in her face.

Kurama looked back and forth between the two strange humans who sat at his feet without a care of worry for his fangs or his size. “Are you not...afraid of me?” He asked them once they had stopped arguing.

Sakura and Hajime looked up at the fox together.

“Afraid? No, why would we be afraid of you Kurama?” Sakura rose to her feet, took the three steps to reach him and hugged his front left paw. “We’re friends.”

Kurama was too surprised to withdraw his paw, to move, to breathe. Was this the one, was she the one the Sage spoke of, the one who would show them what true power was, to bring them together again in a way that they hadn’t been before? He could hear the hum in the earth, the deep hum of nature that only the Sages could hear, that only the tailed beasts and the descendants of the ‘Ones’ could hear.

Kurama closed his eyes, he had waited so long, he had hoped for what had seemed like forever, he had been...lonely. When the man before this woman had come, he had hoped, he had welcomed him graciously into his mountains...and had regretted it.

The man had betrayed him, had wanted to use his powers, his legendary chakra for ill, for war to vanquish his enemies to...the man had wanted to use him as a weapon and saw him, Kurama as nothing more than a tool, a means to an end, void of sentiment or feelings of his own.

He had dreams, he had desires just like them, just like these humans...did he too not deserve love? He looked down at the woman, still wrapped around his paw and licked his lips. “Woman.”

Sakura looked up at him, still hugging his paw with her body and smiled at him. “My name is Sakura.”

“Sakura.” Kurama paused. What was this feeling...he wasn’t sure if he liked it or not but…”What do you want my help with?” Did she, like the other human, want to use him…

“I need you to help me...save a friend.” She stood up, releasing his paw and took a polite step backward.

Hajime growled, attracting Kurama’s attention.

“Him?” Kurama looked between Sakura and Hajime.

“No, one who is...very lost and…” She paused. “Is about to make a grave mistake that will throw the world into chaos. He wants to capture the tailed beasts and use them to...create peace but I don’t think that is right. We were friends once, in the uh future we will be friends and I have seen that is the better path. I want to save you, all of the tailed beasts from...what is little more than slavery.”

“Save us? Save your friend?.” Kurama sat back on his haunches and cocked his head to the side. She didn’t want to collect them as trophies for herself? “Why is it your responsibility to help him, to help us?” He was curious, she seemed so determined.

“It’s isn’t her responsibility at all and she shouldn’t be wasting her time on such a moronic mission.” Hajime looked directly at Kurama. “It isn’t just her friend she wants to protect though, it’s you too, all the tailed beasts. So in her demented thinking, it makes it worth it or something. Who knows how she thinks or how she comes up with these crack brained ideas.”

Kurama blinked with Sakura but for different reason.

“Hajime.” Sakura looked at the man, surprised. “You…”

He may have said it in a...backward sort of way but Sakura understood, he was...complimenting her,in his own way.

“Don’t go soft on my now Hime, you know why I came.” He slouched further in his seat resisting the urge to pull his book from his pouch to cover his face from her scrutiny. He might have said a bit too much.

Takeo snorted. “We all know why you came...we can smell your intent.”

Kurama grinned. This was...entertaining, but still very puzzling. “Why do the tailed beasts need protection? You seem very familiar with us.” He could still smell Shukaku on her. “Surely you know we are capable of protecting ourselves.”

“Were, Kurama, not anymore.” Sakura’s voice sharpened and she straightened her back. “Allow me to start in the beginning.”

Sakura sat down next to Hajime again, Takeo, in his smaller form moved to her side and placed his head in her lap. Kurama watched with growing interest. “You’re, one of the Wolves of the Wilds aren’t you, the ones blessed like the tailed beasts, by the Sage?”

“I am.” Takeo placed his paw on Sakura’s lap and looked up at the fox. “...and this is Shizuka Otsutsuki, the daughter of Izayoi Otsutsuki, the cousin, of the Sage of six paths and a member of our pack.”

“...but.” Kurama looked at Sakura in awe. “That’s impossible.”

“Well, I was reincarnated of course like Hagoromo’s sons, Indra and Asura.” Sakura explained.

“The Sage’s cousin?” Kurama laid down in front of her showing her the respect he ought to have given her front he first, the respect he would have if he had known who she was...should have known who she was by her chakra signature...he hoped she would forgive him.

“Lady Izayoi was thirty years her sister's junior, born in a time where it was common for a man to take more than one wife. So while yes, Shizuka is Hagoromo and Hamura’s cousin, she is closer in age to Hagoromo’s son’s ages, to Indra and Asura.” Hajime clarified the fox’s confusion.

“It’s not uncommon now actually.” Hajime’s eyes slid sideways to Sakura. “One wife would be enough for me. I can only deal with one headache at a time.”

“Like anyone would marry you, asshole.” Sakura muttered, her fingers stroking Takeo’s head in her lap.

Kurama was fascinated. She spoke like...well, she was the daughter of Lady Izayoi but still…”Tell me.”

...and she did.

Two hours later...

“I don't remember everything but I’ve told you all I know. I don’t expect you to believe me honestly, I was really hoping that your chakra in me would make you believe me right away but...I don’t know what you have and what you haven’t been through so far, here uh, I mean now. When we first met, you...hated everyone so much and…”

“I don’t hate you.” The nine tails said quietly. “It is...a lot to accept, my chakra signature inside of you, notwithstanding.” He added.

“It bothers me though, and not because I want to see him because I don’t, that the one tail didn’t come with you to see me.” Kurama lifted his head from his paws where they had been resting while she talked and turned it toward the opening in between the stone of the mountain pass. “I stand corrected.”

“I didn’t want to see you either stupid fox.” Shukaku growled, standing in the mouth of the stone passage looking in at them. “...but I had to come. To make sure...she was okay.”

Shukaku sniffed the air, lowered his head and sauntered into the corridor laying half on half off of Sakura’s lap, purposefully displacing Takeo who snapped at the tanuki’s leg for his rudeness.

“Get off, you can’t come late to the party and expect to get a good seat.” Takeo growled.

“Shut it wolf, she prefers me.” Shukaku rolled into a ball shrinking to a smaller size and laying his head on Sakura’s knee, looking up at her with adoring eyes.

“Idiot.” Kurama laughed out loud. “I see how it is.”

“See that you don’t forget it.” Shukaku’s eyes flashed at the fox.

“Oh?” Kurama cocked his head to the side. “I accept your challenge, one tail.” With that he shrunk down to the same size as Shukau and leapt into Sakura’s lap displacing Shukaku like he had Takeo.

“You asshole!” Shukaku rolled along the floor, then popped up from his ball racing back toward Kurama and Sakura.

“Hold it.” Hajime picked the tanuki up by the scruff of the neck, then Takeo who had likewise shrunk and was bounding for Sakura and Kurama. 

“Only one beast in the Hime’s lap at a time. The fox is there now, then…” He winked at Sakura. “It’s my turn hum?”

“You wish.” Sakura scooped Kurama up into her arms, kissed him on the head and then set him on the ground. “So, Kurama, what do you say? Will you help me with Hashirama?”

Kurama knew his face wasn’t red, knew he couldn’t blush but he ducked his head anyway and looked over his shoulder at the wall...walls couldn’t judge him. “I don’t have anything else to do.”

“Great!” Sakura kissed him on the head, took Shukaku from Hajime and tucked him into her pouch. “Ready?” She scooped Kurama up off the ground and set him on her shoulder turning to Takeo and Hajime who blinked at her, twice before nodding.

Hashirama lay alone in the open fields just inside the border of the Land of Waterfalls. He thought she would have come to him by now, after she had time to cool off, to at least tell him, that Tobirama lived or...

…how could she do this to him. How could she do this to him when he loved her to the point of madness...how...could she let him wait here for her, let him suffer, it was too cruel. She knew, she had to know that he was here waiting for her. She had to know and she was punishing him, hurting him, was she doing it on purpose, was she trying to hurt him...again.

‘You told me you loved me, that you would marry me, then you cast me aside’, that’s what she had said to him, but she was wrong, that wasn’t what he had done. He had never wanted to leave her. He had left her, to protect her. She hadn’t belonged in his world the way she did now, the way that he had always wanted her to be then.

Their world had been changing, he had to take the needed steps to ensure their future, her future, but she hadn’t understood. She hadn’t waited for him and now...she resented him, hated him. He realized...he should have told her his plan, he should have told her to wait for him that he would...that he had arranged for…

He thought she would understand, that she would know he would never abandon her, never leave her, he had promised her and he had meant it. Where did he go wrong, how had it gotten so...

‘Then, when it was convenient for you...you came back, demanded to be with me’, Shizuka’s words played over and over in his head like a disease...not Shizuka, Sakura. Sakura...was not his Shizuka, no, the woman was right, they weren’t the same people they had been because Shizuka, would never have spoken to him like that, would never have...hurt him like this Sakura had.

Shizuka had turned to Ashitoke...because she thought he, Asura, didn’t want her anymore. He understood. She had taken comfort from Indra because Indra had killed Ashitoke, unbeknownst to her, leaving her alone yet again. He understood.

...but Sakura, this reincarnation of hers took without remorse, slept with men without thought of...the way she dressed when she had left her cabin for Tanzaku, the way she had lured his little brother after her like a temptress...Shizuka would never have done such a thing.

Shizuka would never have let Tobirama get so close and accepted his gifts, would never have let Izuna follow her around like a lost puppy or Madara...or let Madara touch her like…

Sakura had kissed Tobirama, wantonly, let Madara touch her like a…

Hashirama clenched his fists. Excuses could be made. She was from a different time, she didn’t understand their customs, their society but… No, Sakura was not his Shizuka. She defiled Shizuka's memory and yet...he was unable to look at the woman without seeing the woman he had fallen in love with so long ago. He felt like, he was going mad.

Two personalities, one woman.

Was he not the same...three personalities, one man. He had loved her as Asura, as Hashirama and as Naruto. Everytime, she rejected him for...a Hatake. It was an obsession he realized, that he would never be free of.

The strength of the curse differed, he realized, with the reincarnation. Naruto had been much different than he was now, much different than Asura. They had all loved her but...Naruto hadn’t seen Sasuke as a threat because...Sasuke had always rejected Shizuka. Then, Shizuka was the one in love with Sasuke, not the other way around and when...it changed, it was too late.

He hadn’t known Kakashi and Sakura had been dating, he hadn’t thought Ashitoke’s soul had been reincarnated like theirs. Kakashi Hatake had been different from his predecessors too in varying degrees. He hadn’t thought he had needed to, force her, when he had been Naruto, he thought he had more time.

He thought he had meant more to her.

‘Environmental change’, that’s what Tobirama had called it.

“Tobirama.” How long would she make him wait.

Tobirama was no less of a brother to him than Indra had been, perhaps even more because Tobirama, unlike him, unlike Indra, hadn’t been cursed...had he? Or was it in their blood. Something Madara had said to him, before he left...something he had spoken of briefly with Sakura about called ‘genetics’.

Hashirama sighed. He wished he had paid more attention when he had been Naruto. It was difficult to keep track of their lives, all of their pasts, presents and futures. Maybe Madara and Sakura had the right idea, to live for the now, to be who they were now only...he didn’t think he was much different than when he was Asura or Naruto.

...and here he was, waiting for her again. He was a fool. Tobirama had called him a fool more times than he could remember, perhaps he was right. Only a fool would wait for a woman who betrayed him over and over again, who defied and denied him repeatedly over multiple lifetimes.

He was a fool, but he didn’t care because...because he loved her, even if she didn’t love him anymore. Even if she didn’t know she loved him anymore, he was a fool because...he hoped that if she gave him the chance to explain, if she would just listen to him, that maybe...maybe she would understand and that maybe...she would love him again, like she used to.

Hashirama rolled over in the grass, his head on his arms and looked out over the field toward the mountains of the Land of Fire. “I’m waiting for you Sakura.”


	65. Chapter 65

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter chapter, using it as a break in events, but on the plus side, you don't have to wait until Saturday for an update :)

It was another week before Sakura stepped over the border of Fire to Waterfall Country. It was nice to get out of the village, even though it hadn’t been fully established yet, civilian and shinobi alike were showing up by the tens and twenties everyday adding to the congestion and the construction demands of the still newly formed village.

Through their connection at night, Madara had kept her up to date with anything he thought she might wish to know in her absence. The Yamanaka and the Nara had come and gone for their visit and were scheduled to arrive with the rest of their clan in the next month. The Akimichi had just sent word, based on the opinion of the Yamanaka and the Nara, they too had requested to join the village. Permission was granted of course with much enthusiasm as Madara could muster.

He expressed to Sakura as they lay in their cave, the water rushing down the cliffside behind them as they lay in one another’s arms, that he didn’t know if he was fit to be the Hokage. She told him, that is exactly what would make him the best Hokage. Madara had blushed at her words before kissing her gently and taking her to bed for the night.

She had woken in a tangle of fur, claws and tail...dampened by sweat and had bathed in a nearby lake. Ever present and more silent than she was used to him being, Hajime stood by, at a respectable distance.

They talked more now, alone and away from the village. Like Kakashi, he tended to use sarcasm to alleviate tension or to avoid more serious conversations. She had awoken from more than one hot dream encounter with Madara to find him awake, and watching her. It was a bit embarrassing and a bit unnerving, but he never questioned her or teased her about it...even though she was sure he knew what she had been dreaming about.

During the day, she had Kurama and Shukaku to distract her, occupy her mind, but often she found her mind wandering back to Hashirama or...Asura as she remembered him as first.

She had lost her temper, she would be the first to admit. Rightfully so, she would argue, but there was no one to argue against. No one had blamed her for losing control, no one had condemned her for her actions and yet...she condemned herself. She could have handled that better.

Sakura didn’t regret what she had said. She had meant every word but...she hadn’t given him a chance to respond much less explain himself. Desperately, she had wanted the closure that had been denied to her all those years ago. Desperately she had wanted to...to tell him that she had never stopped...loving him.

They would never be together again. That’s not what she wanted but if they could be friends, like they used to be...she wanted that. Only, she wasn’t sure if that was possible with Hashirama being...acting like...she had hoped he had changed, like Madara and her but…

Sakura thought of Kakashi, of Ashitoke and of Hajime. Each of Ashitoke’s reincarnations were similar but also, very different. Their tendencies had changed but she thought that, the core remained the same. Each of them hid, kept people at a distance and yet...yearned for a closeness that they constantly kept at bay.

‘I know I should feel bad for using you like this.’ She had told Madara just last night after he had made love to her. ‘I know you love me.’

‘You have nothing to feel bad about Sakura. Consider this redemption for the hell I put you through, in all of my other lives.’ He had chuckled, twining his fingers through her sweat dampened locks as he held her to his naked body. ‘It is not a sin, to love you. It is a blessing.’

They had made love again. Sakura had woken to Hajime’s eyes on her again.

That morning had been different than the others that week. There was an awkward tension between her and Hajime. A tension she had no name for. This wasn’t the time she reminded herself, to open that can of worms. There were more important things for them to focus on. Anything that needed to be said between them, could be said later.

After Kurama, they went to speak with Matatabi, Isobu and Son Goku each in their temples as the Sage had commanded. Each one listened to Sakura, some hostile at first, but were eventually swayed either by her heartfelt words or by the others accompanying her. Kurama, much to Shukaku’s annoyance, had been the major deciding factor for the rest of the tailed beasts.

If the nine tails was on the woman’s side, if the nine tails trusted this stranger the others thought, that was enough of a reason for them to at least listen to what she had to tell them.

Kokuo, Saiken and Gyuki had come to them on their own accord, much to their combined surprise.

They had woken up one morning to find them, sitting there by their fire, watching them sleep. It was a bit eerie but Sakura smiled and welcomed them into the fold easily. Kurama and Shukaku had exchanged a rare look of duplicity much to Hajime’s amusement. Apparently they were pretending for Sakura’s sake.

Kurama’s attitude was as witty as ever but much more toned down than Sakura remembered him as he had been in her time. Sakura assumed it was because he hadn’t been betrayed and used as much as he had been by the time Naruto had become his jinchuriki. He still got annoyed fairly easily, complained as much as she remembered him to and muttered...more than he used to under his breath when he didn’t think she was listening, like he was now.

“Tagalongs…” He was muttering again, looking over his shoulder from his now...usual perch, on Sakura’s shoulder.

“Kurama, be nice.” Sakura scratched his head and kissed the top of his nose where he draped his head and front paws over her shoulder from around her neck like a shawl or a stole.

“We don’t need all of the tailed beasts do we Sakura?” Shukaku was also looking behind them at the other tailed beasts.

“Shut it coon boy.” Matatabi said from Sakura’s ankles, where she was winding in and out of Sakura’s gait as they walked.

“No one asked you kitty cat.” Shukaku grumbled, slipping back into the comfort and darkness of Sakura’s hip pouch, making Matatabi snicker.

“Hime, I can feel Chomei, which means she can feel us as well.” Son Goku called down to Sakura from one of the many large trees surrounding them.

“Which means Hashirama knows we’re coming too. I doubt he stayed in Waterfall this long without finding her. He’ll be waiting for me.” He had been waiting for her, she knew. He hadn’t moved at all in the three weeks he had been gone.

She had dreamt of him the night before last, as Shizuka and Asura...she had woken up to the gentle shaking of Hajime, who had insisted they sleep close to one another while camping. It had made her laugh. Who would dare attack them surrounded as they were by tailed beasts.

She had been calling out for him in her sleep...she had been crying, he told her. Of course she had been. Try as she might to hate him, to condemn him, she still...loved him. He was heartless, ruthless, demented and sick but...she thought she might understand and because of that understanding she pitied him...but hate him...she couldn’t quite find it in her heart to hate Asura.

That didn’t mean she was looking forward to seeing him though either. She may wish to be friends, like they had been before, but how they would do that now...she didn’t even know where to start. Perhaps, by talking, by letting him...explain, like he had tried to do before she had...attacked him...

“Hey.” Hajime tugged gently on a bit of her hair. “Even if he has the seven tails, it will be okay Sakura. We’re all here for you.” He said quietly, but both Shukaku and Kurama heard him.

Shukaku popped up from inside of Sakura’s pouch and sniffed the air around them. Kurama closed his eyes and hummed silently, his throat vibrating with the effort. “We’re here.” Kurama said, opening his eyes.

“Here?” Sakura looked around but didn’t see anything special.

“Chomei is over there.” Kurama pointed to a great mass of trees where she could barely make out a transparent form...Chomei.

“Oh!” Sakura gasped, then smiled. “I didn’t know she could do that, but why is she...she’s free?”

“As you can see.” Hashirama stepped out from behind the mass of trees that Chomei was camouflaged to and bowed at the waist to Sakura. “I thought you’d never come...Shizuka.”

“Asura.” Sakura took a step back and immediately regretted it.

Hashirama smiled a slow smile, she was beautiful, he had almost forgotten how beautiful she was. “I see you’ve been busy, making friends.” He nodded to Shukaku who was growling at him from her hip pouch and then at Kurama who was sitting on her shoulder, no longer draped over her neck relaxed.

“You have almost all of them. I was worried that they would...rebel against you and that you would get hurt. I see that as usual...I underestimated your guile.” Hashirama took a step forward, toward her but stopped when Takeo grew to his full size and thrust himself in between Sakura and the man he considered an enemy.

“I see you still have your faithful guard dog with you.” He spoke of Takeo but looked at Hajime.

“Let’s kill him now.” Kurama sprung from her shoulder growing to his full size at an alarming speed.

Hajime grabbed Sakura around the waist and leapt back from tree to tree until they were free of Kurama’s expanding body.

“Let me go Hajime.” Sakura pulled at Hajime’s arm but it wouldn’t budge. Her eyes opened in surprise. She hadn’t realized he was so strong.

“Think Sakura.” Hajime said without sarcasm. “He will be expecting you to stop Kurama, to talk to him first. The fox deserves his vengeance.”

“Vengeance, but Hashirama never collected the tailed beasts with the intent to hurt them, he just didn’t understand he just wanted to create peace.” Sakura protested.

“Did he?” Hajime almost, almost sneered at her. Where did this nativity come from, when she had seen what the man before them was capable of, what he had intended for her…he remembered the conversation he had overheard between her and Takeo by the river when he had first laid eyes on her. “Let go of this ridiculous predetermination, is it not clear he is not the man you think he is, was or will be?”

“I…” She knew he was right but… “You don’t understand. You didn’t know him how I knew him. I was mad, I was upset but...he isn’t all bad and I think that part of him...really wants to be good, he just doesn’t know how.”

Wood exploded around them, tore through trees, rent the air and converged on Kurama.

“No!” Sakura yelled, running and leaping over the beams Hashirama was using to subdue the nine tails. “Hashirama stop!” She fell in front of Kurama, her chakra exploding around her, preventing Hashirama from imprisoning Kurama. 

“You can’t protect them all, Sakura. Even with the immense chakra pools that you possess, you will eventually run out. It’s only a matter of time before they all belong to me.” Hashirama called down to her from Chomei’s shoulder.

“She’s, sleeping.” Sakura realized. “You, drugged her.” She understood now.

“You’re lying again Asura.” Sakura shook her head. “Is this really who you are now Asura?”

“Talk to me. I just want to talk to you, like we should have centuries ago, please.” Hashirama lowered his voice. “Let me explain and then, if you want, I’ll leave. You can have all the tailed beasts, Konoha, everything Sakura, just...please, give me a chance to explain. I deserve that much don’t I?”

Sakura licked her bottom lip. This was a trap, she knew it, she could feel it in the hum of the earth but…”Talk.” 

“You can’t be seriously thinking of...Sakura.” Hajime growled. “You can’t be serious, after what he did in Konoha, how he tried to…”

“I attacked him in Konoha, he never attacked me.” Sakura told him. “I lost my temper.”

“Even so girl, this is a bad idea. I say we kill him now, don’t give him a chance to fill your head with lies.” Kurama paced back and forth, eyes twitching, tails swishing. This was a bad idea. Why was she hesitating, he could feel the evil inside of the man, why couldn’t she?

“He is the reason for nearly all of your heartache Sakura, why would you even listen to what he has to say, why does he get to voice his plea? Have you forgotten, he is the reason Ashitoke is dead, he stole you from Indra, he...” Takeo didn’t understand why she was being so...weak.

“Everyone deserves a chance to explain themselves Takeo.” Sakura took one step forward, stopped and turned to Shukaku who was slowly inching his way along the ground in his sand form to follow her. “I will speak to him alone.”

“Sakura.” Hajime moved to her side, grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “He’ll kill you.”

“No.” Sakura looked to Hashirama who remained at a polite distance, making no move to come to her. He knew, he knew she would...listen to him, at least one last time. “He won’t kill me. He might drug me, do horrible things to me but kill me, no...he won’t kill me Hajime.”

She smiled at the Hatake. “I’ll be right back.”

Hajime growled but let go of her arm, she had...winked at him...what was she…

“Trust me Hajime.” Sakura continued to smile at him.

“If you fail?” Hajime asked, his hands in his pockets. His eyes held hers. “I’m supposed to protect you, we’re...I…”

Sakura turned her back to Hashirama and moved back to Hajime. “I know. I didn’t know that you knew though.” She cocked her head to the side.

“A recent discovery.” He muttered.

“This isn’t the end.” Sakura told him as she turned back toward Hashirama. “I’ll be back.” 

Sakura felt the reassuring weight of the scroll Tobirama had given her before she had left Konoha, and felt the pendant he had given her against her skin. This wasn’t the end, but the beginning, a new beginning for them all.


	66. Chapter 66

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end...
> 
> NM

Two weeks ago, one week after Hashirama had fled the village…

Hajime swallowed hard, his palms were sweaty, his eyes darted from left to right...she was alone. Had she felt it he wondered, the change like he had, like he was sure Madara had, like Tobirama...had…for he knew now that the man could feel intent, like Sakura. So rare. Hajime was almost, almost...jealous of the man.

Cold slate eyes, the color of a Winter night just before dawn, just before the warmth came to chase away the piercing cold of the night...watched her pour her tea. Tea for one. She was alone. He stepped out of the shadows of the surrounding forest...into the light.

“Lady Shizuka.” Hajime bowed low to the ground, his forehead touching the dirt, his arms stretched out before him, his breathing...erratic and quick. “I’ve come.”

“Ashitoke.” Sakura’s hand stilled over her cup, the steam from the hot tea warming her palm as a shiver ran down her spine. “It’s been a long time.” She said quietly.

“I never thought I’d see you again.” Sakura whispered, her eyes down cast, to her cup.

“Is that why you push him away?” Hajime lifted his head, his hands still to the ground, his palms flat. “Deni his devotion, are you frightened of losing it again?”

“Again.” Sakura looked up. Their eyes met. “Twice now, I’ve lost you. You always were a blunt one when we were alone, I see time hasn’t changed that.”

She was different. It was the first thing he had noticed when he had realized...who she was.

Sakura watched the wisps of steam rise and curl from her tea cup, like the tendrils of time wrapping themselves around her even now, sitting as she was. “Our fate. Our curse.” 

Her chest heaved as she drew in a deep breath then let it out slowly. “Why would I put myself in a position to lose you for a third time, my...protector, my soulmate? If you believe in such a thing.” Sakura picked up her tea cup, bringing it to her lips, paused…”Who is that masochistic?”

“Is that why you wrap yourself around the Uchiha Sakura, to forget me, us?” Hajime walked to the porch, hung his arms over the rail and looked her in the eye.

“Are you jealous?” She asked him seriously, this was the first time they had an opportunity to speak like this, so plainly, so personally. “You have nothing to be jealous of Ashitoke, you know that.”

“...and I will never forget Kakashi.” Sakura smiled into her cup. “We’re different than the others it seems.”

He had never been jealous before, not even as Kakashi, perhaps...some things were different. He never had anyone to be jealous of before though either, before or...then.

Hajime watched her drink her tea. “What about Tobirama Senju?” He dipped in between the rails and pushed himself up onto her porch, sat down beside her and took her free hand in his.

She pulled her hand from his and moved to the other side of the table, away from him.

“No one is watching.” He leaned toward her, his hand cupping her cheek. “Answer me, what about Tobirama Senju?”

Sakura scoffed, yes, as blunt as ever. “Tobirama is just a friend.” Ridiculous man. He hadn’t changed, not really, she had though. She wasn’t the same woman that she had been when she had fallen in love with him back then. She had seen too much of the world now, accomplished too much to remain...stagnant.

“You’re lying Sakura, not to me but to yourself.” Hajime sat back, bracing his weight against his arms as his palm hit the wood of her porch behind him. His eyes fell to the gold chain that adorned her neck. He was happy for her. “Or perhaps it’s that denial of yours.”

_”I call it a seal.” Ashitoke handed Shizuka a slip of paper with strange markings on it. “Like hand signs, the characters help focus and direct your chakra when you press your chakra into the paper. You use your will to activate or deactivate it.”_

_Shizuka turned the paper over in her hand. “How strange and inventive. You’re amazing Ashitoke. Show me.” She handed the paper back to him._

_“I can only do simple things right now but here.” Ashitoke bent over the water of the river they sat beside and focused his chakra. A whip of water flowed from the river, commanded by one hand, into the slip of paper while he sealed it with the other hand._

_“See? Now you can take this with you, say to the desert and still have water, because of this seal.” He beamed at her._

_“That’s truly incredible. However did you come up with something like this?” He was a genius. She had never met anyone like him before. Everything he said was new, everything he showed her was amazing._

_“I just thought of it. There was a need and I knew there had to be a way. Hand signs are great but, what if you don’t have the time for them, what if you could have something pre-made or made ready...like a seal? It would make you twice as fast, twice as powerful.” Ashitoke pulled another paper from his sleeve and gave it to Shizuka._

_“This one is for time.” He said pointing to the different brush strokes he had made on the paper. “There is never enough time in a day to do all the things I want to do. Now, there can be.” He explained._

_“You can, trap time?” She would have said that was impossible, but she had learned that impossible wasn’t a word that Ashitoke Hatake knew._

_“Seal it, not trap it. Use it. Bend it to my advantage.” He took the paper from her hand and pressed his thumb and forefinger to it, pinching it together and hummed as it glowed blue and crackled with his lightning release._

_The river fell away as he took her hand, the meadow materializing around her. Shizuka stumbled as their feet touched the ground._

_“What…” She looked around, her fingers digging into Ashitoke’s forearm._

_“I call it, a transportation seal, or a thunder seal, because what comes before lightning?” Ashitoke winked at her._

_“You found a way to seal time.” Shizuka shivered. “Ashitoke. There are some things we shouldn’t mess with and I think, time is one of them.”_

_“Think of the possibilities though, think of all the good we can do once I perfect this.” He wasn’t listening to her too caught up in his own grand scheme._

_“Think of all the evil that could come of this Ashitoke, if someone selfish got their hands on it, if someone bad figured out how to use this for their own gain, it could change how the world works, it could change everything, history could be rewritten.” She didn’t like this. This was a bad idea._

_“Maa maa Shizuka.” Ashitoke waved his hand through the air. “You worry too much.”_

Sakura fingered the gold chain around her neck. Their tendencies might change, but the core remained the same. Ashitoke had loved her, but not how Kakashi had. Soul mates don’t always mean lovers and lovers don’t always mean soul mates, but they do mean friends, good friends because who can understand you more than someone who shares the affinity for the same soul?

_”You think you’ve won, but you haven’t.” Blood exploded from Ashitoke’s mouth, Indra’s sword sticking through his chest. He could feel the warmth of his blood leaving his body, he was going to die. “You might have her in your bed after I’m gone but she will never love you, not like you hope. Not like you want her to.”_

_“Opportunist.” Ashitoke growled. “Coward.”_

_“Silence. Just die quietly dog and be gone. A nuisance, that’s all you are.” Indra pulled his blade from Ashitoke’s body. The man slumped over on his knees, his head against his chest. “It’s over.”_

_Ashitoke listened to Indra’s footsteps as he walked away from him. “No, Otsutsuki San, this is only the beginning.” Ashitoke pulled his newest seal from his sleeve and pressed it to his heart. With the last of his chakra, he sealed as much of his soul as he could into the scroll._

_...Takeo watched the paper on the desk glow blue then fade back to its original white. So...he was dead. The great black wolf bowed his head...Shizuka would be devastated…_

_Centuries passed before Takeo was able to find him again. A small white haired boy in the woods crying alone, mourning his father. A Hatake named...Kakashi but with only half of his soul...was he still compatible?_

_It was a time of gruesome war, but even war had it’s purpose. At first, Takeo had thought he had come too late, the boy lay face down in the mud, blood surrounded his small body, he was dead._

_Takeo sniffed at the blue fabric that covered the boy’s body, not dead but dying. Quickly, Takeo knew he had to move quickly or all would be lost again. With his claws, he ripped the fabric from the boy’s body and sliced open his already failing chest, pressed the seal Ashitoke had given his before leaving their cave, before leaving Shizuka naked in their bed, centuries ago, into the boy’s body and wept._

_“Let it work, for her, please Kaguya, redeem yourself through your mercy.” Takeo prayed, for the first and last time, to the Rabbit goddess._

_Smoke purled away from the boy’s wounds, his skin began to heal before the wolf’s eyes...Takeo let out the wind in his lungs, he would live. Shizuka...would love again._

Sakura watched Hashirama’s back as he led her away from the others. She could feel their tension in the air, their concern and their love for her. 

She wasn’t Hagoromo Otsutsuki, but she was the daughter of Kaguya’s sister Izayoi. The tailed beasts didn’t see her as Sakura Haruno. They saw her as the revered cousin of their beloved Sage and even though it had only been a week, they all felt varying degrees of love and admiration for the small strange woman.

“Will she, be okay?” Shukaku looked at Kurama who looked at Hajime.

“Aren’t you going to go after her?” Kurama demanded. “Aren’t you two lovers?”

“Do you think she would go with him, unprepared?” Hajime pulled a book from his pouch, jumped up into the nearest tree and dropped it over his face open, to block out the light. 

“Just wait for her to come back.” He called down to the prowling beasts ignoring the fox’s question. They wouldn’t understand even if he felt like explaining his unique relationship with the woman, which he didn’t. He wasn’t sure he even understood their relationship.

Shukaku opened his mouth to say something but Kurama hit him over the head.

“What the hell! You wanna go fox boy!” Shukaku roared but stopped when he looked at Kurama’s face.

“Let’s do what he says.” Kurama didn’t like it anymore than the rest of them. “We’ll be here and be ready if she needs us.”

Matatabi laid down, curling into a ball, her eyes scanning the forests. The other tailed beasts relaxed into similar forms spread out along the forest floor. They would be there if Sakura needed them.

Hashirama led Sakura deeper and deeper into the forest, up a steep incline and over the top of a rocky ridge. He held back the small curtain of willow for her to walk past him, into the small alcove. “This is where I have been staying, waiting for you to come to me.”

She hesitated, just as he had expected her to, straightened her shoulders, like he knew she would, ducked her head...and walked past him into the dark, like he had hoped she would do.

“This way.” Hashirama placed his hand on her back and guided her through the darkness toward the light at the end of the narrow earth corridor.

“Don’t touch me.” Sakura stepped ahead of him toward the light.

“As you wish.” He smirked as she began to sneeze.

She drew back the willow hanging at the end of the corridor, revealing a hidden valley between the surrounding ridge. Hashirama made the hand signs and sealed the exit behind her.

“Hashirama.” Sakura wiped her nose on her sleeve, pollen covered her clothes, her hair and her skin. She had expected this but...her fingers traced the ends of the scroll in her pocket that Tobirama had given her…

“Not again.” Her eyes closed and she fell to the ground unconscious, her hand falling limp at her side.

Hashirama picked Sakura up from the ground and cradled her against his chest. This is what he had been waiting for. This would make the last three weeks, the last three months worth it. With his nose in her hair, he walked across the valley to the house he had made himself, opened the door and walked inside. He only had a few hours before she woke up, he needed to get started.

Carefully, he laid the woman on his bed and pulled her boots from her feet. He would take his time, he didn’t want to rush this. Three hours was more than enough time to do what he wanted to do with her.

Adrenaline rushed through his veins as he untied her sash and pulled her shirt from her body. Quickly, his hands moved to the ties of her pants. Almost frantically he pulled the garment from her legs and threw them to the floor. Pushing her shirt to the end of the bed he pulled at her chest wraps until she lay naked before him.

So close, he was so close. 

For weeks he had planned for her arrival, cultivating and cross breeding his sleeping poppies until he was certain he had found the perfect potency for her. He wanted her incapacitated. He wanted her powerless but not completely unconscious. He wanted to know it was he who touched her, that he was the one kissing her, coming inside of her when he took her.

He wanted her to feel everything he did to her, and not be able to do a damned thing to stop him. She was a strong woman, who needed to be broken.

“I know you can hear me Shizuka.” Hashirama unbuttoned his shirt and let it slide off his shoulders. “I really did want to speak with you.” He pulled at the ties to his pants.

“For you it was a lifetime ago but for me, it seems like only yesterday I left you by the river.” Hashirama laid down beside her on his bed, his hand running up and down her naked body as he admired her. “I went back for you, when I could. I thought...you would have waited for me, that you would have trusted me.”

She deserved to know, what she had put him through, that she hadn’t been the only one hurting, the only one hurt.

“I told you.” He pulled her to himself, his nose resting against her neck as he held her. “There would only ever be you for me and me for you. Why didn’t you wait for me? I had a plan, it just took a little longer than I thought. She died, the woman my father had planned for me to marry. Indra killed her when he attacked her village. You should have trusted me, you should have known I would take care of everything, take care of you, like I promised you I would.”

He ran his hands up and down her back, she was so soft, as soft as he had remembered her to be. Hashirama kissed her mouth, pulled her hair from the back of her head and licked her bottom lip. “I made sure she died, that I was free of that burden. I made sure Indra attacked her village, no one was left alive. I had it all planned out, all for you.”

Sakura’s eyes fluttered. He paused. “I never stopped loving you, even now...I love you so much Shizuka.” He bent his head to her mouth again and again, taking her mouth with his, pulling her head back by her hair.

‘My name is Sakura’, she said over and over in her head. She understood now. Naruto was only how he was because of what she was going to do now...how...unfair.

Stop, she begged silently. She couldn’t open her eyes. Stop Hashirama, she tried to push her chakra to her fingers, but nothing happened. He was moving her again, laying her back down on his bed. Damn it, she cursed her own stupidity, again.

“I know my brother loves you.” His voice hardened. “I know you have feelings for Madara.” He looked down at her, waiting, willing her to protest, to deny his claims but of course she didn’t, her eyes were still closed, her breathing still smooth and calm. 

“You’re so heartless Shizuka. You’re so selfish.” Asura spread her legs apart with his knee and felt up along her inner thigh. “I need to remind you who you belong to, who you’ve only ever belonged to. From now on, I’m the only man you will ever be with. I need to punish you. You did this to yourself, you deserve this.” He told her.

No, she moaned out a strangled noise, her eyes snapping open. She still couldn’t move. She felt dizzy, the room spun around her, she closed her eyes again to stop the nausea. He was hurting her, she could feel the hatred in his touch as his fingers entered her and moved against her inner walls.

Hashirama grunted. She wasn’t ready but…

Darkness filled her mind. Loud vicious cackling filled her head. Yellow eyes bore down at her as Hashirama spread her legs wider and positioned himself at her entrance, rubbing his head against her…

“No.” Sakura managed to whisper, her eyes still closed.

“Yes.” Asura hissed as he snapped his hips, thrusting his cock up into her sex, gasping as her tightness gripped him. He rested his forehead against hers. 

“So good, to be home.” He began to move into her, lifting her hips to meet him halfway, deeper and deeper he pressed into her until soon, too soon he lay over her panting after his release.

“I promise…” he moved into her again, his limp manhood falling from her folds. “...to last longer next time.”

No, one tear slipped from her now open eyes and fell into her hair. No next time Asura, her fingers twitched at her side. She could feel the burning in between her legs, the swollen bite marks along her bottom lip and the slight bump...of the chakra pill she had placed under her tongue before leaving Hajime, right before she had winked at him.

She had been foolish again, but she wasn’t a complete fool and now she knew...Zetsu hadn’t been lying. Zetsu wasn’t dead, he had simply rejoined his original host...Asura Otsutsuki. It can only be you, Tobirama had told her when he gave her the scroll of sealing. Madara won’t and I can’t, he had explained.

One by one she moved her fingers, testing the effects of the pollen. One by one they moved, soon. 

“It will be different this time Shizuka. I promise.” Hashirama stroked her hair back from her face. “I’ll bind you to me forever, in a way that will make it impossible for anyone to come between us again.”

Sakura didn’t move. She didn’t dare give herself away. What the hell was he even talking about.

“I’ll rip Ashitoke’s bond from your heart, from your soul, Kaguya was wrong to do that to you.” He continued to explain his plans to her.

“This time we can be happy, this time, I won’t leave you alone by the river.” He promised her as he began to stroke her body again. “You’re still my wife.”

“No, I’m not.” Her voice cracked but she didn’t care. She sounded weak, but she wasn’t. “I understand now. You’re infected. When, when did your heart change Asura?”

Hashirama blinked. It had worn off...already. He moved to the side of the bed. “My heart? I’ve always loved you Shizuka.”

She saw her pants on the floor, her shirt at the foot of the bed. She flexed her fingers into a fist, and lunged for the end of the bed in one quick motion. If she could only get that scroll...

Hashirama spun on his heel tackling her to the ground and pressing her down onto her back. Why, why was she forever defying him?

“Stop trying to run away from me.” He grabbed her face, he had enough of her disobedience. With a growl he drew his hand back and slapped her hard across the cheek. “You belong to me. Just accept your fate. Stop making me hurt you.”

Sakura’s eyes watered, her cheeks burned with shame. She could feel the sticky warmth of his lust oozing out from between her legs. “I’ll not let you use me like this Asura.” She growled back at him, then spit in his face.

“I will use you however I want as many times as I want.” He flipped her over onto her stomach and pressed her down into the bed with his knee.

Sakura scrambled on the bed, her fingers clawing at the sheets. Her chakra was moving slowly, thickly through her veins, it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t moving through her coils fast enough to…

He entered her again hard, knocking the wind out of her. “Mine.” he bit her shoulder to bleeding.

She screamed out, scrambled to right herself, to get away from him but her chakra wouldn’t flow, her body was still uncoordinated and he was...too strong. Tears poured down her face. It was happening all over again. It was just like that night that he had taken her from Indra...it was the same, he was...the same. Nothing about him had changed, she was a fool.

The book fell from Hajime’s face as his head snapped to the left. Was that...Sakura? He jumped to the next tree, then the next and the next...he was a fool, he had failed her again...

Kurama and Shukaku shot off into the forest followed quickly by the other tailed beasts.

Hajime’s lightning release broke through the wood release barrier.

“Asura.” Sakura’s voice was small, he almost hadn’t heard her.

“He’s always been with you hasn’t he?” She asked him, her eyes on the floor as he continued to move inside of her. She could see the tip of the scroll Tobirama had given her peeking out from the folds of her shirt that had been knocked to the floor by her hand when he had flipped her. Reaching down, her fingers grazed the end, not close enough.

“Asura.” She moved against him hesitantly, he stilled his movements.

“Asura. I’m sorry I let you suffer for so long with him inside of you. I didn’t notice, maybe this is...my fault.” She closed her eyes.

“Your fault?” He didn’t understand. She was...blaming herself? Was...did she finally understand?

“I saw him in Madara, I felt him inside of me but never, I never knew he was with you.” She looked at him over her shoulder, her green eyes full of tears.

Hashirama looked down at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. This was a trick, he knew it but…no, she didn’t understand. “It isn’t like you think Shizuka, he didn’t take control of me or manipulate me like he did Indra, like he did Madara.”

He rubbed the back of his head, pulling out of her and sitting back on his legs. Sakura pushed herself forward, swiped the scroll with her shirt and pulled it up into her lap, covering the top half of her body with the shirt, the scroll safe in her hand.

Hashirama looked up at her. She was still, just sitting there looking at him. Waiting.

“I...welcomed him. It’s a partnership not...like it was with you or Madara, he’s a part of me.” Hashirama looked at her wide eyes.

“You...want him in you?” This was absurd...and far darker than she had thought. She could feel her coils opening up, her chakra was flowing with it’s natural consistency, the dizziness and nausea had faded. It was almost time. Just a little longer.

“You don’t understand.” He knew she wouldn’t understand. She was more like Indra in that way, she always had been. It had bothered him then and it bothered him now.

“Explain it then. When did he, come to you?” She asked, pulling her pants up off the floor. She moved slowly, but he made no move to stop her.

Hashirama watched her dress. She wasn’t trying to leave...maybe…

“It was before we met, by the river.” He told her.

Always that damned river, she almost growled.

“Zetsu, he told me things, things that would happen, in the future and how I could...help.”

“Help.” Sakura couldn’t believe her ears. He had betrayed them all, from the first, before any of them had known...he had already betrayed them.

“Zetsu told me about his mother, our mother.” Hashirama’s eyes went dreamy for a moment as he spoke Kaguya’s name. “Kaguya Sama, she had been betrayed by the man she loved, then by her two sons, Hagoromo and Hamura.”

Sakura was stunned. He knew. He had known the whole time and had said nothing.

“Her sister Izayoi followed her, had arrived here, on Earth before the others, and had found love in the arms of a man, much like her sister had found with Tenji.” He continued his tale.

“She was jealous.” Hashirama moved toward her, lifted his hand and smoothed his thumb over the crest of her cheek. Sakura willed herself not to flinch, not to move. “Kaguya sent an army, from the moon, to kill her sister and all of her happiness.”

Sakura gasped. Ashitoke…

“She killed her sister and she thought she had killed you too. In the end, after the blood had been spilt, when she had looked down into the flames and saw that you were still alive...regret filled her heart, remorse fell over her and…” Hashirama clenched his jaw.

“Ashitoke should have died with his clan. He should have died in the fires but he didn’t. Izayoi was just as clever as her sister and had hired a kunoichi.” Hashirama laughed a sick laugh. “...to watch over him. To protect him as long as she lived. Did you think you were one of the first kunoichi?”

...was he, mocking her?

His hand fell from her face, his fingers touching the end of her sash. “He’s the one who found you, who gave Kaguya hope...for redemption.” He sneered. There was no redemption for him, the voice had told him so.

“Kaguya loved Tenji I think and regretted…” His voice dropped to nothing. Regret, what a fickle emotion. He regretted nothing. His eyes grew hard as he looked at the woman before him again.

Sakura licked her bottom lip. The sting of his bite was still there, a reminder of his...jealousy, of his possession.

“She forgave him, you, her sister, in a moment of weakness she forgave Tenji, all of them.” He clenched his fists at his sides. “A mistake. They deserved to die, all of them, they deserved what they got and Ashitoke deserved what he got too! For taking you from me!”

Hashirama’s hand struck out to hit her across the face again but she blocked it, her reflexes were back.   
“This is not the way it has to be.” She said quietly as she held him by the wrist with one hand, the sealing scroll in her other hand, hidden in her sleeve.

“Sakura!” Hajime burst through the door. 

Sakura threw the scroll out to her left when Hashirama turned his head to watch the man he hated above all others enter the room.

Shukaku and Kurama bounded into the room followed by the other tailed beasts.

Sakura bit down hard on the chakra pill under her tongue releasing her seal at the same time, thrust both of her hands into his soul and ripped a full bodied Zetsu from Hashirama Senju all in one fluid movement.

That’s when the screaming began.

...before the room erupted into chaos.


	67. Chapter 67

“Sakura.” Someone was calling her name. “Sakura wake up.” Soft hands patted her on the face.

“Hajime?” She murmured.

“No.” Tobirama sat on the bed beside her, holding her hand in his. “He will be fine though, don’t worry.” He assured her.

“Tobirama?” Sakura pushed against the covers and sat up in...her bed. “I’m home? Where is Hashirama, where is…” Her head split open, she closed her eyes in pain.

“Easy, he’s...dead. The tailed beasts saw what he did to you and how he...I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to....” He couldn’t meet her eyes. “Hajime told us...what happened.”

“Us?” She unclenched her jaw as the pain faded from her head. Her glowing fingers pressed against her tender temples. Hashirama was...but she had pulled Zetsu from him, she had saved him...“The tailed beasts they… Oh.”

“I’m so sorry Sakura.” Tobirama was ashamed, had been since her return. He should have followed her, should have gone with her when she had left. If he had then perhaps none of this would have happened. If he had gone with her then maybe his brother...he felt selfish, conflicted...sick.

“It isn’t your fault Tobirama.” Green eyes watched the emotions flitter over his face. He looked drained, like he hadn’t been sleeping well. His clothes were rumpled, his normally pristine appearance...lacking. He was a mess. 

“I thought I knew him. I knew there were things about my brother that I didn’t know but I never thought he was, would…” Tobirama shut his mouth abruptly. “Get some rest. The Hokage should be told you’re awake. He’ll...want to see you.”

He had waited by her side nearly day and night for her to wake up, for her to speak again but now that she was awake, he couldn’t bear to look into her eyes.

“Tobi.” Sakura stopped him from leaving with a gentle tug on his sleeve. “Madara and I, it isn’t...what you think.” She felt the need to explain to offer him what comfort she could. She knew it wasn’t enough, that nothing could replace or help him with…

That’s what she was worried about? She was worried about what he thought of her and Madara after his brother had, after she had been...it hurt. It hurt him to be here. She had nothing to be sorry for.

“I’m not sure what I think right now, Sakura. If you do, please tell me.” Tobirama bowed to her respectfully.

“I…” What could she possibly say that would make him feel better, help him understand what had happened. “I’m sorry. I tried to save him, did they tell you that I killed Zetsu, that he was, had been a part of your brother for...centuries. Tobirama, it...wasn’t his fault.”

“Don’t.” Tobirama clenched his fists then released them, letting them hang limply at his sides. 

“Please don’t make excuses for him. Even now, you’re trying to...trying to make it okay and it isn’t. It isn’t, none of this is ...just...there are others, others who wish to see you, others who have been waiting like me, for you to open your eyes again, to feel the warmth that you radiate.” He turned from her bed, his eyes on the floor. It was so unlike him, avoiding her eyes.

“Tobirama.” Sakura reached out for him but he turned away from her again. “I…”

“I just need, more time. Death...is nothing new to me, to us but...this seemed more than just...there was something much more final about Hashirama’s death.” Tobirama nodded as though to himself, took a deep breath and looked at the bed, still, not quite meeting her eyes.

“The tailed beasts have been causing all sorts of trouble while you’ve been recuperating.” He cut off anything she might have said. “I’ve been forced to seal your room with more seals than I could have possibly imagined.” His annoyance was clear. This was the Tobirama she remembered.

“Let them in.” Sakura pulled the covers up and around her more securely. They needed to talk, but it could wait. 

Tobirama paused at the door to her room, looked back at her and nodded. “We will speak again, after you’ve rested more.”

The door opened shortly after he had left. Takeo in the lead, followed closely by Kurama and Shukaku...all of the tailed beasts raced into the room and bounded up onto her bed in their smallest forms, even Chomei.

“Sakura! Sakura!” Shukaku cried over and over as Kurama curled up onto her lap hitting the tanuki in the face with all nine of his tails.

“We are pleased to see you recovering Hime.” Son Goku bowed respectfully to her.

“Thank you Son Goku, how long has it been, Tobirama didn’t tell me how long we’ve been home.” She looked from face to face.

Takeo spoke up first. “A month.” He said quietly, bowed his head and set it on her knee. “We were worried, so worried that you were going to die. The pack will be pleased to hear you’ve woken up. The Elder Wolf wishes you a quick recovery.”

“A month.” Sakura gasped. “...but.” 

She paused. She could still feel him, just outside her bedroom door. Tobirama hadn’t gone far. She could feel the others, moving swiftly toward her. Soon, there would be too many in her room...

“We sealed your body so you didn’t waste away.” Mito Uzumaki walked into the room pulling Hajime into the room behind her and pushing him toward the bed. “I never knew the Hatake were so skilled in sealing.”

“We’re not.” Hajime shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the wall. He too was avoiding her eyes. Sakura frowned.

“Right, so you just happened to be halfway through the sealing process by the time I got here huh?” She rolled her eyes at the man, then grinned at Sakura who gave her a quick smile back.

It was good to be home.

“Luck.” Hajime shrugged. “It was the least I could do, since I couldn’t...Sakura…” He began but was cut off by Izuna.

“Sakura, thank goodness.” Izuna walked into her bedroom, moved Kurama off her lap and hugged her forcefully. “We were so worried about you, Madara will be so relieved that you're awake. He hasn’t been himself since you left the village over a month ago. No one has.” Izuna looked over his shoulder at Mito, whose eyes softened as they looked at one another.

Sakura’s brows rose at the subtle exchange catching Mito’s eye. Mito smirked. Oh?

“It’s a little crowded in here…” Madara’s deep voice filled the room as he closed the door behind himself. 

“How do you feel, Sakura?” He sat down on the other side of her bed and took her remaining free hand in between both of his. Hajime stiffened, his eyes narrowed at the Uchiha.

“Maybe there are a few too many in the room.” Izuna looked from his brother to the Hatake, took Mito’s hand and led her from the room. “We’ll see you tomorrow Sakura, glad you’re awake.”

Hajime shoved off from the wall, his eyes on the Hokage. “I come back tomorrow too, or perhaps, later tonight.”

He was gone before Sakura could stop him. He was so much like Kakashi and yet he wasn’t. No one could replace her Kakashi, that’s not what she wanted. Sakura bit her bottom lip. Like he said, they would talk later.

“Let him go. We have things we need to discuss.” Madara took her other hand in his, leaned forward to kiss her but she pulled away, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry Madara, but I…” She didn’t want to hurt his feelings but...she needed to step back, take sometimes to herself, for herself.

Madara watched her eyes and nodded. She had changed again, like the wind. “I understand.”

She lifted her head and looked at him. Did he really. “Do you?”

“I think so.” He patted her hands and rose from her bed. “Tobirama was worried for you...and his brother but you should know Sakura...I think he was more worried, about you. He doesn’t blame you, neither do I. When you left, we all knew it was a possibility that...Hashirama wouldn’t come back with you. We never saw your mission as a rescue mission.”

“...I did.” She let the tears fall freely from her eyes. She understood. They didn’t blame her but she blamed herself.

“No, because he loves you. Tobirama loves you, the way you ought to be loved, the way...I might try to love you but, maybe don’t know how.” Madara walked across the room without looking back and shut the door behind him leaving her alone to think about his words.

Ah...they had a month to accept the possibilities, she had just woken up. She understood.

Sakura laid back in her bed surrounded by the tailed beasts and closed her eyes. She was home, in Konoha. Hashirama was...gone. She barely recalled what had happened after she had ripped Zetsu from his heart and infused every last bit of chakra she had into destroying him.

...and she had destroyed him, for good this time. She could feel it in the air that filled her lungs, in the hum of the earth’s energy that surrounded her...he was gone, really gone this time.

“Yokatta.” She opened her eyes to find Shukaku sitting on her chest, his paws on either side of her head.

“Are you really okay Sakura?” He asked her, his nose twitching nervously. “We didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Yes Shukaku, thank you, all of you for being here with me. My pain, is not physical Shukaku, it’s fine, it will fade...with time.” She sighed again, a sigh of genuine relief and closed her eyes, falling asleep.

Sasuke’s words came back to her like a ghost, ‘Time, is a fickle thing.’

When she woke again, it was night time, only Shukaku and Kurama remained in bed with her. 

Moving Shukaku from her chest, she threw the blanket off and reached for her shirt that hung over the chair beside her bed.

“Where are you going?” Shukaku sat on his haunches and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“I need to speak with someone.” Sakura ignored the looks of the tanuki and the fox.

“Are you sure you shouldn’t rest some more, you’ve been through a lot Sakura?” Kurama looked at her with that red steady gaze of his, reminding her of a very displeased Tobirama. She smiled. All of them cared for her so much and she was grateful. She honestly didn’t know what she would do without them, what would have happened if they hadn’t been there for her.

“I am.” She walked to her door and slid it open. “I’ll be back soon.” She slid the door shut behind her.

The village was quiet. Sakura walked along the back wall toward the Senju main house in the shadow of the forest. She could feel Tobirama in his room, Madara in his room at his house and...Izuna and Mito...by the river? She paused...it seemed a lot had happened while she had been gone.

His bedroom light was on and there weren’t any traps on his window. He was expecting her it seemed.

“While I am glad you’re feeling better, it might not be wise for the others to see you up and about so soon after your return, head medic. You’re setting a bad example for the rest of the village.” Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest and ‘glared’ at her sternly from his desk. He watched as she nearly fell over the lip of his bedroom window, then righted herself a bit unsteadily.

Sakura saw the corner of his mouth twitch and smiled. “I feel fine Tobirama.”

“I’m sure you would say that even if you were dying.” The weight of his words weren’t lost on her. “I was worried.”

“I’m sorry.” Sakura let him come to her. “I didn’t mean to worry you but I had to go, you know.”

“I know.” His eyes traced the gold chain around her neck as he embraced her.

“Oh?” She wondered just how much he knew.

“I know enough.” He said quietly. “...and not nearly enough.”

“The scroll you gave me, how did you come by it?” She asked him, her head on his shoulder.

“My brother showed it to me when we were children. It has been in our family for as long as I can remember, handed down from generation to generation, kept safe until...Hashirama tried to destroy it.” Tobirama moved them to sit on his bed, pulled her up into his lap and cradled her against his body.

“I switched it, with a substitution jutsu before he could destroy it. He...never knew.” Tobirama confessed, petting her hair with his free hand. “I kept it from him, for years, hidden, safe.”

“I admit, I never really knew what it was either until...I had a dream.” He ducked his head and kissed the side of her cheek. “I never dream Sakura. I’ve only had one dream my entire life, of you defeating my brother, with that scroll.”

Sakura looked up into his red eyes, he nodded solemnly and continued to speak in his deep, low calming tones.

“Our father told us that it was a family heirloom, cast down to each clan head, protected until the day came that it was needed, to cast out a great evil, that only a descendant of the great Otsutsuki Clan...could use it against one of their own.” Tobirama paused. “Our father wasn’t perfect, but I don’t think he ever thought that the scroll would be used against one of his own sons.”

Sakura laid her head against his chest and listened to the gentle thumping of his heart. He was alive and well, she was here with him...they were together and Hashirama was…

“Hashirama knew what it was of course, and had taken great pains to steal it from our father before he became the new clan head of the Senju. I never knew why he stole it, felt the need to possess it until I saw him in the woods one day, about to destroy it.”

“I couldn’t believe my eyes. My brother, the eldest of all of us was about to destroy one of the oldest clan heirlooms we had and I knew...I knew then that it was because...because he was the great evil we had been warned of, my brother, Hashirama.”

“Tobi.” Sakura reached up to cup his face between her hands.

“I knew and yet, I did nothing. I thought by keeping the original scroll, it was enough. I thought if I had it, if I kept it safe when the time came I could, be the one to use it to...seal away that great evil in him but…” Tobirama hung his head in shame. “I couldn’t. He was my brother and I, loved him so much. I couldn’t do it. I’m so sorry Sakura. It’s all my fault that he...that you got hurt.”

“Tobirama, the seeds of evil were cast long before your time. It isn’t your fault that you loved your brother too much to kill him. No one blames you, least of all me.” Sakura rubbed her thumbs over his cheeks and forced him to look into her eyes.

“You don’t think I would blame you do you?” She asked him seriously.

“You don’t have to blame me when I blame myself Sakura.” He met her eyes. “I don’t need your pity.”

“You think I pity you?” Sakura tilted her head to the side, she didn’t understand.

“Why else are you here?” He asked her gently.

“I don’t know.” She chewed her lip absently. “I missed you I guess.”

“...but I thought that you said you didn’t want…” He didn’t understand hadn’t she said she wanted to be friends, that she wasn’t ready to choose anyone, that…

“I didn’t. I don’t know what I want but I know that I missed you...Tobirama and that I wanted to see you.” She closed her eyes as his arms came up and wrapped around her shoulders hugging her to his chest.

“I'm glad your home safe, Sakura.” He had missed her too.

Hajime closed his eyes as he lay in the tree outside of the Senju main house. Sakura had fallen asleep in the arms of the white haired Senju...and that was okay, he’s still be here when she woke, watching over her.


	68. Epilogue

It had been six months since she had returned to the village with Hashirama and all of the tailed beasts.

The Yamanaka, the Akimichi, Aburame and the Nara had joined them.

Shinrai had personally escorted Jinso and his wife Kinsha to Konoha where they had a new tavern and Inn.

All of the buildings were finally finished and the first ever Shinobi Academy had opened its doors just last week admitting its first class of fifty students. A proud mix of both civilian and clan children.

Sakura sat behind her desk in the Konoha hospital, a rare sight for the busy constantly moving kunoichi.

“Being lazy are we?” Hajime leaned up against the back of her office door with a bag of take out in his arms.

“Hardly.” Sakura scoffed. “Is that lunch?” She eyes the bag appreciatively.

“Sure is, Tobirama should be here any minute.” Hajime set the bag on the table in the corner of her office and started to pull bento after bento out of the bag.

“How many people are you expecting for lunch?” Sakura had counted 5 bentos so far and he was still pulling more out of the bag.

“One is for that damned annoying racoon.” Hajime nodded to the sand slipping under the crack of her door.

“...and the others?” She queried a pink eyebrow at him.

“We have something to discuss. I invited the others Sakura.” Tobirama pushed the door to her office open, allowing both Izuna and Madara in after him.

“My office isn’t that big you know.” Sakura looked at her door. 

“This won’t take long Hime.” Izuna smirked at her as she growled.

“We’ve been thinking.” Madara handed her a box of tempura and a set of chopsticks. “...about what we talked about last night.”

Sakura swallowed. “...and?”

“The first Spring Festival in Konoha should be special.” Madara ignored Sakura’s snark, speaking to the rest of the group.

“It will be special, it’ll be the first one.” Sakura said sarcastically.

“We should get married, for the first Spring Festival, in front of the entire village.” Tobirama said before Sakura could come up with another snarky comment.

Izuna grinned at the pinkette. “That shut her up.”

“What did you, did you just, that’;s not how you propose to a woman, Tobirama Senju!” Sakura pointed her chopsticks at the man across the table from her.

“Is that a yes?” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down his nose at her.

“I...but…” Sakura stuttered.

Madara rolled his eyes. 

The door to Sakura’s office slammed open revealing Mito Uzumaki. “Orchids, white ones. It’ll be perfect!”

Sakura dropped her chopsticks onto the table. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Tobirama asked her, a faint gleam in his eyes.

Sakura nodded. “Yeah, okay I’ll marry you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End
> 
> Prequel in the works. Gonna write it from start to finish before posting.
> 
> The story of Ashitoke, Takeo, Indra, Asura and of course Shizuka.


End file.
